The Plot

The plot follows a character known for most of the story as The Bride, her name withheld. The Bride was an expert international assassin who left her team when she found out she was pregnant and decided to get married. But her team, particularly her boss and lover, Bill, did not accept this. Their attack leaves The Bride in a coma she is never expected to wake up from…but she does. After nearly being killed, losing her child and many other loved ones The Bride seeks revenge on her old team and in particular – Bill

After 20 Years…

The story is very much broken into chapters as The Bride crosses people off her revenge hit-list, there are intense action scenes followed by quiet moments and sections of anime or odd almost comedic sketches of The Bride getting the things she needs. It jumps back and forth in time around each of these showdowns – giving the audience relevant information, showing backstory between characters etc. It crosses off many items on a Tarantino checklist: extreme violence, an interesting and unusual soundtrack, and homages to other films.

Every fight scene is amazing and distinctive and for a revenge film where everyone is an assassin that is important. There are unusual shifts in tone in these fights – for example when The Bride goes to face O-Ren Ishii she must first battle through her samurai gang, killing dozens of people and verges on cartoonish fighting and jarringly over-the-top amounts of blood with a loud pop music soundtrack. But then her encounter with O-Ren, moments later, is a one-on-one sword fight comprised of only a handful of strikes, fought in a peaceful snow-covered garden and sometimes all you can hear is the sound of water and wood of a fountain.

It is perhaps outside these fight scenes – which do contain emotion as well as action – that the film falls down. This is particularly true of Kill Bill Vol.1 where there are large sections of the film that feel like they serve no purpose. Tarantino’s inability to cut down his movies is legendary and perhaps it was better to have two films rather than one very long one, but there is certainly stuff that could be removed. Kill Bill Vol.1 also contains, in my opinion, the most shocking and gratuitous example of violence in the entirety of Tarantino’s work, and that is saying something. I don’t think an actual description of what happens is necessary but suffice to say there is a moment of horrific abuse perpetuated on The Bride (and suggestion that this has happened many times before) that has no reason to be included other than to cause The Bride more suffering.

The final confrontation with Bill is a little overblown, with long monologues and even bringing out the very convenient trope of a truth serum but it ultimately is a very good end to the movie. David Carradine plays Bill, an actor best known for the tv show Kung Fu and very much part of Tarantino’s idiosyncratic casting style and is very good as the older mentor figure, turned lover, turned nemesis.

Music

Like all Tarantino films the soundtrack is a very important part of the film and has been chosen with care and while there are great tracks from The 5,6,7,8s and some old classics that most people won’t know (including me) what is most striking and memorable is the use of Ennio Morricone. Morricone did not compose new work but Tarantino used songs from other films. The work of the genius composer best known for westerns like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly brings tension, pathos and dread to the film, and is used intentionally to evoke the themes of westerns, and one can see the Kill Bill story told through a western – a gang turning their back on a member who then tracks them through the Wild West taking revenge.

For me looking at both Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol.2 and assessing the whole work is difficult as I do not like the first film, but think Vol.2 is great, and it’s hard to reconcile those two ideas. Certainly, the film has a huge legacy with outfits, songs, quotes quickly settling into the cultural understanding of the 2000s but does not belong in Tarantino’s top tier.

Also Read: Quentin Tarantino Directing A Star Trek Film? Here’s What It Would’ve Been Like

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“Tonight’s Forecast, A Freeze Is Coming”

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) face two new challenging villains. They are Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is building a weapon to ransom Gotham for money to find a cure for his terminally ill wife, and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) who seeks to punish humanity for its environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Robin feels like Batman doesn’t trust him. Their faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) is slowly dying. And Alfred’s niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) is poking around Wayne Manor. Will the Bat-family survive?

“If I Must Suffer, Humanity Will Suffer With Me”

One of Batman and Robin’s biggest problems is that the film has numerous plotlines competing for screentime and many of their tones clash greatly. One minute we are indulging in silly slapstick action and ice puns, then we are suddenly dealing with a long-time Bat-family member gradually losing their life. Furthermore, because of the bloated story, several plotlines feel underdeveloped (Batgirl’s subplot) or pointless (Bane’s inclusion).

As well as this some of the film’s components feel very slapdash and can take you out of the experience. This includes the writing plot holes. For example, Mr. Freeze using a machine powered by huge diamonds to ransom Gotham rather than selling the diamonds on the black market. Which would probably be just as profitable. Along with this some of the CGI has aged incredibly poorly. The human figures move very unnaturally and a few sequences look barely finished.

And of course, there is the grating cheesy dialogue and the performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O’Donnell, and Alicia Silverstone which range from bland to irritating to hilariously misjudged.

“You Lie”

Unfortunately, a lot of good-faith criticism of Batman and Robin is lost among complaints about its deviation from the darkness of Tim Burton’s Batman films and Batman and Robin’s suits having nipples and rubber bums. You can prefer the Tim Burton films over Batman and Robin. But, a lighter tone doesn’t necessarily make a film bad. And complaining about something as harmless as Bat-bums/nipples feels petty and slightly homophobic through its ridicule of something potentially appealing to a gay audience. It’s therefore regrettable that these complaints are what largely stuck with the film.

“That Is The Nature Of Family”

However, Batman and Robin does have genuinely praiseworthy elements. Firstly, there is Elliot Goldenthal’s music. Full of bombastic epic sweeps and sultry seduction. It makes the film feel exciting throughout and is a fine listen.

Then there are the undervalued performances by George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Michael Gough. Clooney perfectly fits the role of playboy Bruce Wayne. He also adds a sly self-awareness to his Batman which makes him an enjoyable presence. Additionally, this allows him to get away with his cheeky humour more than other cast members. Uma Thurman is an absolute blast as Poison Ivy. She really embodies Ivy’s seductive and bold nature and every time she appears her energy makes it impossible to look away. That said Michael Gough is the film’s true star. Effortlessly humorous and heartfelt, his interactions with the Bat-family, particularly Clooney, add real dramatic weight to proceedings. Truthfully his storyline is worth the watch alone.

Finally, the cheesy dialogue, flimsy plot, varying acting quality, tonally mismatched story elements, loud colours, wild theatrical costumes, and other elements combine well to create a fun, campy atmosphere that helps excuse some of the film’s worst excesses. Making the film genuinely entertaining to watch despite itself.

Was It Really That Bad? No

Regrettably, most audiences only view Batman and Robin as a punching bag. Yes, the film has a story, CG, and minor acting problems but it also has many aspects to appreciate and enjoy. Including its infectious atmosphere, its music, and some underappreciated performances. After years of dour, joyless Batman films, we need something as unapologetically bright and fun as Batman and Robin.

Also Read: The Batman: Snyderverse and the DCEU

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