Ever watch a movie in a theater and leave being completely unsure about what you've just seen? You get into the car and just kind of stare blankly at the dash, baffled by what just unfolded. "Kill Bill Vol. 1" was one of those movies except for the fact that I stared at my TV screen after watching the DVD. I was confused, unsure if what I had just seen was entertaining. "Kill Bill Vol. 2" solved my quandary.

The Bride (Uma Thurman), having finished off two people from her "list," immediately begins seeking vengeance on the final three people who tried murdering her during a wedding rehearsal. Budd (Michael Madsen), Elle (Daryl Hannah), and of course Bill himself (David Carradine), prepare for the wrath of the Bride. What she doesn't know is that her daughter is actually alive and in the hands of Bill.

Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" opens with an ingenious segment in which all of the films main characters are finishing off a meal. The segment leads into a highly entertaining argument about tipping the waitress. Though it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the film, this single scene enables viewers to get a feel for each of the characters in brilliant fashion. The snappy and witty dialogue the director is famous for tries to be transferred into this second chapter of the "Kill Bill" saga. One has to wonder what went wrong.

This is a film so wildly different from the first you have to wonder how they can be connected (they are technically the same movie, simply split into two parts). Where the first edition was kinetic, fast, and full of energy, this second part is dull, lifeless, and lacks any real tension. You would have to be an idiot not to figure out that Bill would meet his demise by the end of the film.

The plot of the entire saga is as paper-thin as an ancient 8-bit video game: "You're out for revenge against those that betrayed you! Fight off the 5 bosses and give them what they deserve!" Of course, that's really not what's important here. Tarantino is as gifted as they come with a camera and it shows here. Even if you know nothing about the way a film is made, you will still appreciate some of the shots produced here. The acting is also great, particularly David Carradine. The problem here is that the maddening pace and dialogue just don't work.

In a nearly 20-minute scene, Tarantino gives a wonderful homage to 70's Chinese kung-fu films with Gordon Lu playing the old and wise martial arts expert. While certainly a well produced segment (probably the best in the film, including the classic quick-zoom camera shots) it's only purpose is to give an explanation for how The Bride finds her way out of an early tomb in ridiculous fashion.

Most of the character-oriented segments here are not the least bit entertaining, funny, or dramatic. The characters that were so wild and fun in the first film are nowhere to be found. Gone is the dark comedy from the opening scene from part one. Gone are the wonderfully over-the-top and wonderfully shot fight scenes. All that's left are some minor conversations that really have no reason to be included.