Kill Bill: Vol. 1 2003

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Vol. 1 is a shot of pure adrenalin on celluloid, headed for the heart and the gut, not the head. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is self-indulgent, overwrought, shallow and ridiculous. It is also brilliant, a blast of cinematic lunacy and as much of a guilty pleasure as the schlocky movies Tarantino adores. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: This is the ultimate movie for kung-fu drive-in geeks ... Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: The most gorgeous B-movie ever made. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: An exercise in style. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Even more gory and adolescent than its models, which explains both the fun and the unpleasantness of this globe-trotting romp. Read more

Mark Rahner, Seattle Times: This is some glorious filth -- in the most flattering, arterial-spraying sense of filth. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: In the wake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Matrix series, even the recent So Close, Tarantino's movie comes off as been there, kicked that. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: The year's most important unimportant movie. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: For the first time in Tarantino's filmmaking career, the written story -- both in word and development -- proves the least interesting part of the whole equation. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: Despite a draggy section and a problem with proportion, Kill Bill bristles with such vitality it hardly matters that -- at least at the halfway point -- it feels inconsequential. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: The violence, blood levels -- and just plain cheesy gore -- in this film are extreme, but Tarantino's sharp dialogue and expert editing leaves you breathless. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Kill Bill ranks just behind Pulp Fiction in terms of strutting the director's storytelling gifts. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Kill Bill may have little on its mind besides pop extravagance, yet you can feel the movie tracing a transition in the world -- from West to East, from male to female rule. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Simultaneously a spectacular act of movie-making and a slight movie. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: A feast of bravura filmmaking, thoroughly engaging and unique in even its most derivative elements. Read more

John Powers, L.A. Weekly: A fan-boy's paradise. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: An eye-popping, blood-soaked, ingeniously choreographed thriller and Hong Kong homage that ultimately adds up to ... not much. Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: There is no ironic overlay in Tarantino's movies, no 'commenting' on the pop schlock he's replicating. He simply wants to remake in his own way the kinds of movies he's always loved, and he's about as uncynical as a movie geek can be. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: A tribute both scrupulously authentic and wildly original. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: There's a lot to admire in Kill Bill, and a lot that should have been lopped off like the arms and legs and scalps that go flying. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: As a whole, Kill Bill might be an entertaining product, but, after seeing Volume 1, I was insulted. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Kill Bill: Volume 1 shows Quentin Tarantino so effortlessly and brilliantly in command of his technique that he reminds me of a virtuoso violinist racing through Flight of the Bumble Bee ... Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Kill Bill is one long yakkety-yak about Tarantino's passions. He's the samurai who won't shut up. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: It boggles the mind that after six years of silence, all Tarantino has to offer is this garbage. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: Kill Bill is about nothing more (or less) than its director's passion for the mindless action pictures that got him through adolescence. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: At a time when most movies are watery soup, Tarantino has served us a two-inch steak, bloody and sizzling. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Not only is this the work of a major and vital talent in full bloom, it's the most thrillingly entertaining American movie so far this year. Read more

Time Out: It's all bang, bang; no kiss, kiss. But this is still bravura film-making from a prodigious talent, and Thurman may yet prove its saving grace. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Whatever Bill's limitations, style isn't one of them. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: A strange, fun and densely textured work that gets better as it goes along. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: Fun and smart, but undeniably thin. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: Delivered with such high panache and brio, it's mesmerizing. Read more