Kill Bill: Vol. 1

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Visually striking, but also very violent.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that they should exercise the strongest caution before allowing their kids to see this film. They should know that the movie has the most intense, graphic, brutal, and destructive violence imaginable (at least until Tarantino thinks up something new). Body parts are sliced off and blood gushes and spurts like a geyser. Many characters are maimed and many more are killed. A mother is murdered in front of her young child. A man's head is sliced off and tossed around. A character is repeatedly raped while she is unconscious. Characters drink and smoke and use very strong language.

  • The main character is a powerful woman, but her every action is driven by revenge.
  • Constant, extreme graphic violence with gallons of spurting blood, characters maimed and killed. Nightmare material.
  • A character is repeatedly raped while she is unconscious.

What's the story?

Uma Thurman plays someone we just know as "The Bride" (her name is bleeped out). On her wedding day, the entire wedding party was killed by her former associates, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DiVAS). The pregnant Bride was beaten and shot in the head, but did not die. She lost her baby and was in a coma for four years. When she wakes up, she seeks revenge from each of the DiVAS and their leader, Bill.


Is it any good?

 

This is a stylish and visually striking movie, but it is also a very violent movie, possibly the most violent movie ever released by a major American movie studio. The carnage is so completely and outrageously over the top that it could trigger laughs, but some may find the endless slicing off of body parts and gallons of fake spurting blood overwhelming or even numbing. Much of the movie is one fight scene after another, yet the revenge provides a motive and a hero, giving the fight scenes enough forward momentum to feel like a story.

Fans of this genre will find it sensationally entertaining. The action scenes are brilliantly staged, and Tarantino's other trademarks -- cool music, playing around with time, and brilliant dialogue are all there in full force. Uma Thurman , Viveca A. Fox, and Lucy Liu hold their own in fight scenes with eye-popping visuals that would overwhelm most performers.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the sources of inspiration Tarantino drew from.


This review was written by Nell Minow
Adult
February 2, 2011
 
Ya so this movie is very bloody. It's insanely violent, but a great movie it is. Not really for young ones though. It is completely based on a woman's want for revenge who will stop at nothing to "kill bill" If you want to actually understand the movie, you have to watch part 2

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Parent of 14, 15, and 17 year old
January 23, 2011
 
Too much violence for the impressionable.
Yes the movie is violent, but it is presented in such an outrageous way that any mature viewer knows that it is not acceptable behavior.

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Adult
March 18, 2011
 
ok, if you are a fan of Tarintino, then this is your film. if you are looking for family film bull crap, go see something else. this is a hard core action film that has one of the best acton set pieces of the last decade. its a fun over-the-top film that deserves to be seen by anyone who is interested in film.

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Teen, 15 years old
March 27, 2011
 
NOT FOR KIDS
gory NOT FOR KIDS under the age of 15\ alot of blood and care come with it

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Teen, 16 years old
October 30, 2010
 
perfect for young adults and old kids
If you are a 20 year old violence addict then you will like this film. Not appropriate for kids under 18.

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Parent of 16 year old
September 23, 2009
 
oh come on. this movie is not mature at all. its very bloody but completly cartoonish and comic which most tweens will probably understand. a very silly movie but the outstanding visually striking cinematography is the main reason to watch this.

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Teen, 15 years old
April 29, 2010
 
11+
I would have out too violent as a concern, but that is what the film is about. It is however done in a chic animated way. I would let a mature 11/12 year old view this.

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Teen, 17 years old
November 28, 2009
 
Ultra-Bloody action flick is great for older teens.
I love this movie! It's an absolute classic and i've seen both. A warning to parents though: This movie is one of the bloodiest movies i have ever seen, period. Literally gallons of blood spraying and spurting everywhere, especially in the scene where she fights the crazy 88 (88 japanese soldiers) Also has some language, and the main character who's goal is to kill Bill, and the four other assassin's that betrayed her and her child.

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Adult
November 6, 2011
 
Tarantino's Fourth Film
This is the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino. You might automatically assume that the movie has unnecessary violence, harsh language and drug use because its a Quentin film. However Kill Bill is not your average revenge story. The amount of violence makes Kill Bill unique and gives the audience a sense of what old school kung fu movies were like. Its a fun blood bath of vengeance that action movie lovers can enjoy!

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Teen, 14 years old
April 5, 2011
 
This movie was amazing. Beautiful in action and a nice throwback to the old 30's samuri flicks. This movie is extremely violent and the point of it is revenge. There's plenty of cursing and the main character is raped while in a coma. But the coma scene wasn't too graphic, only in what the guy says (Ex: My name's Buck and I like to f--k), kid's hear and say this sort of language all the time and, as I say thousands of times, the violence is nothing new. Maybe back in the 80's this movie or any other I comment on would not stand, but today kids are alot more open to these things and become adults alot faster.

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Miramax
Director:Quentin Tarantino
Cast:Lucy Liu, Uma Thurman, Vivica A. Fox
Genre:Action/Adventure
Run time:90 minutes
Theatrical release date:October 9, 2003
DVD release date:April 13, 2004
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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