8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.8 |
Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback... with a vengeance! Having been gunned down by her former boss Bill and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start... but is determined to finish.
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, David CarradineThriller | 100% |
Crime | 92% |
Dark humor | 76% |
Action | 70% |
Martial arts | 40% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Just utter the name “Quentin Tarantino” in a grouping of film fans, and you are bound to get a wide range of opinions. Some find the controversial
director to be derivative while others think of him as exploiting violence in his films. Of course, there are those that fancy him as the greatest auteur
of the era. Whatever your opinion of Tarantino might be, it’s hard to argue with the pure entertainment value that he brings to cinemas. I’ve always
been a fan of Tarantino’s work and the two Kill Bill films are two of my favorites. One thing is for sure when dealing with a Tarantino flick:
he’s never afraid to put exactly what he wants on screen.
Kill Bill is one wild ride. The film begins with our pregnant heroine, The Bride (Uma Thurman), being gunned down on her wedding day by
Bill (David Carradine), her boss and leader of the appropriately named “Deadly Viper Assassination Squad,” or more simply, “DiVAS.” The Bride
miraculously survives her injuries that day, but upon awakening from a coma four years later, she discovers that she has lost her baby. This sets into
motion the entire plot of Kill Bill as The Bride sets off on a killing spree that spans the entire globe as she hunts down and kills every
member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Heads will, literally, roll.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Disney and Miramax have really brought their "A" game to this phenomenal presentation of Kill Bill. Presented in its original theatrical aspect
ratio of 2.40:1 using the AVC Mpeg-4 compression codec, I can't imagine Kill Bill looking any better. The previous DVD versions of Kill
Bill have all been pretty horrible with an abundance of edge enhancement, strange colors and compression artifacts galore. That's not the case
here as this Blu-ray edition packs an amazing punch and features one of the most realistic and film-like images I've yet experienced on Blu-ray.
Right off the bat, viewers will experience exceptional black levels and beautiful and rich shadow detail. Contrast is perfectly tuned throughout the
presentation with startling black and white and as color photography. Detail is also striking with an abundance of fine fabric and skin details. I was
also extremely impressed with this transfer's rich color palette and accurate fleshtones. Nothing about this transfer shows even the slightest hint of
compression issues or noise of any kind. The film's fine grain structure has also been perfectly preserved and lends the presentation a pristine, film-
like image. Kill Bill ranks as my favorite transfer on Blu-ray thus far this year. This is quite simply an amazing experience on Blu-ray!
With a perfect visual presentation, it would have been quite a letdown had Kill Bill not been exceptional in the audio department. Fear not, as
this is one seriously amazing soundtrack. Presented in uncompressed 5.1 PCM, Kill Bill sounds spectacular. I was completely blown away with
the amazing width of the soundstage and the clarity exhibited in every nuance that this track delivered. Having heard, at this point, hundreds of
Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and PCM soundtracks, I truly believe that PCM still delivers the richest experience. There is an atmospheric clarity
in PCM that just sounds more full and alive than the other two lossless formats. I hope that in the future, PCM isn't completely abandoned in favor of
the Dolby and DTS flavors that are becoming the norm on BD.
If there is any one aspect to Kill Bill that truly impresses, it would be in the amazing sense of atmosphere that this PCM track delivers.
Viewing this film is like living inside the movie for two full hours. Every subtlety in this track was delivered with a clarity that made the whole
experience more real. Surround activity is very active with a very wide and enveloping soundstage. Bass is truly exceptional as every kick, punch and
broken bone thumps with authority. Dialog is always crisp and clear while the film's eclectic musical score never misses a beat. Kill Bill
sounds killer. Highly Recommended!
While every other aspect of this Blu-ray release of Kill Bill is as good as it gets, there's really not much to this set's supplemental features. The 22 minute documentary is interesting and delivers some nice insight into the production, but the two musical sequences from Japanese band The 5,6,7,8's could have probably been left on the cutting room floor. I was happy to see trailers included for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, 2 different Kill Bill versions as well as Kill Bill: Volume 2. That's really all there is here, so don't expect anything beyond what you've already seen on the previously released DVD.
Kill Bill is just plain fun. It's gory, over the top, brilliantly acted and surprisingly poignant. I've enjoyed the film for years and have eagerly been awaiting its release on Blu-ray. Disney hasn't disappointed - - they've delivered a stunning, reference grade transfer that is as close to film as anything I've yet seen on Blu-ray. The film's fantastic uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack is completely enveloping and packs a punch that matches this set's stunning picture quality. Kill Bill is a must-own title on Blu-ray and comes with my absolute highest recommendation!
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20th Anniversary Edition
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Director's Cut
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Rogue Assassin
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1991
Ruslan
2009
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Straight Up: The Director's Cut | Special Collector's Edition
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