Awakening from a lengthy coma, the expecting "Bride" (Uma Thurman) embarks on a lethal killing spree to avenge herself on those responsible for killing her fiancée and to find out just what happened to her unborn baby. She has a past - formerly a soldier in the "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" - she formerly dated it's leader "Bill" (David Carradine) - and so in theory has her work cut out for her as she seeks her revenge. Well, except that is, that the aforementioned "DVAA" could not hit a barn door with an Howitzer. Despite their overwhelming numbers, their supposedly expert training and resilience, "Bride" mows through them as if they were wheat to her combine harvester. This film has no jeopardy whatsoever. Thurman looks great and packs quite some charisma into her performance, and Tarantino presents a quirky style to the story, but that story is hackneyed and unremarkable. The characterisations are undercooked and frankly nondescript and the fact that we know there is to be a part two, only robs this all too quickly of any sense of menace. Gory and bloody, yes but so what? A strong and feisty woman lead? Yes, but again - so what? The action scenes are well enough choreographed, but the whole thing has a relentlessness to it that really underwhelms. This director usually makes good use of his soundtrack, and the strong and powerful tones of Nancy Sinatra do tee this up well, but afterwards I'm afraid it just descends into mediocrity and I really struggled to appreciate anything different or innovative about this. Disappointing.
