The logline: After being left for dead at her wedding rehearsal, the Bride (a former contract killer) exacts revenge on those responsible after she wakes up from a 4 year long coma.

After a 6 year absence, noted film geek Quentin Tarantino decided to do a send-up on several of his favorite genres (Samurai, Western, Kung-Fu) with a 4 hour plus epic revenge tale titled “Kill Bill.” The first volume is basically an action heavy set-up. Aside from a back story on assassin O-Ren Ishii, there is very little characterization here, which is fine since Volume 2 gives us all the answers. As for the action itself, it may be bloody and over-the top, but it’s a blast to watch. It’s hard not to be glued to the screen during the now infamous House Of Blue Leaves sequence in which the Bride slaughters countless swordsmen. The Bride’s outdoor sword fight with O-Ren Ishii is also impressive.

Volume 2 is a much different film both in tone and story. Not only do we learn about Bill and The Bride’s past, but we also find out why the Bride was left for dead and that her child is still alive. While Volume 2 has grown on me over time, it still suffers from a few major flaws. First and foremost, Tarantino’s script here is far too self indulgent. Unlike the first volume, this volume is talk heavy. Tarantino is clearly in love with his own dialogue, which is never more apparent than in the drawn out conclusion between Bill and The Bride. Had the finale been trimmed down a bit, this would have been a stronger, tidier film. Still, there is plenty of great stuff in the second chapter, most notably the fight between Elle and The Bride in the trailer and any scene with Pai Mei.

In typical Tarantino fashion, he manages to give B-movie stars and underrated actors the finest roles of their career. David Carradine (who plays Bill) has never been better and martial arts stars Gordon Liu (who plays the hilarious beard twirling martial arts teacher Pai Mei) and Sonny Chiba (playing the legendary sword maker Hattori Hanzo) are scene stealers. Of course, Uma Thurman is the real stand-out and rightly so. She really made the role her own and I was surprised at how well she pulled off the action scenes.

I should also mention that the soundtrack is also fantastic, even if much of the music has been overplayed on commercials. Among the best tunes are “Woo Hoo” by the “5, 6, 7, 8’s,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmerelda, and “Malaguena” by Salerosa Chingon.

Summary: While I am disappointed that the long overdue “Whole Bloody Affair” was not released on Blu-ray instead, these two discs are still must haves for any Tarantino/Kung-Fu/Samurai/Action film lover.