Kill Bill Vol. 2

Like its first half, Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a simultaneously refreshing and familiar take on the martial arts genre. But unlike Vol. 1, the sequel is low on body count and high on overlong monologues. What's needed is a yin-yang balance between the over-the-top violence of the first movie and the emotional punch of the second.

Two halves, but neither one is whole. Both enjoyable, but neither is 100-percent fulfilling.

Nevertheless, the Kill Bill series is a welcome delight in a Hollywood filled with half-baked hybrids and unoriginal clones. So unique is this Quentin Tarantino film that it doesn't fit into any one genre; it requires a Blockbuster shelf all its own.

Uma Thurman reprises her role as the Bride. This time around, she locks her cross hairs on her former boss and lover, Bill (David Carradine), for ordering the massacre of her wedding party that put her in a four-year-long coma and for stealing her daughter.

While Vol. IIs fights were primarily Tarantino's ode to samurai films, Vol. 2 is a tribute to Hong Kong kung fu flicks of the 1970s. In flashback sequences, legendary martial arts star Gordon Liu plays Pai Mei, a sadistic White Lotus Clan master who takes the Bride under his wing. From his period-piece costume to his booming Cantonese, Liu (Shaolin Master Killer) plays the long-bearded sifu with just the right amount of bombast that borders on juicy self-parody without taking away from the Bride's character arc. Tarantino makes sure the hung gar expert exhibits the staples of the kung fu subgenre, from stroking his glued-on beard while laughing maniacally for no reason to busting out some eagle-claw action on Thurman.

In fact, it's Thurman who has to keep up with Liu, her tiger and crane techniques looking slow and awkward at times. Thankfully, the Bride makes up for it with a wicked brawl against the one-eyed Elle (Daryl Hannah).

The two beautiful blonde warriors try to destroy each other with every street-fighting technique they've got. Heck, even a groin kick and TV antenna are used. Flowing smoothly from the highly stylized Asian aesthetic to more realistic handheld camerawork, Tarantino shoots one of the most kinetic fight scenes in recent years.

But just when the film seems to race to the finish, verbose dialogue and sluggish pacing slow the climatic showdown between the Bride and her former lover. Carradine plays Bill with a cool mystique, proving he's a far better actor than a martial artist. But after following the Bride's journey through more than three-and-a-half hours over two movies, I wanted his death to come hard and fast, not limp along.

While the manner of Bill's demise is pretty cool and surprising, it's 30 minutes to 45 minutes too late. Had Tarantino shown a Shaolin-monk-like discipline in the editing room, he could have chopped down the two incomplete volumes and combined them to create what might have been one of the best martial arts films in recent years.

Soul Calibur II

Playing Soul Calibur II is like sparring. As much as I love it, I know that to become a well-rounded martial artist, my training has to include other challenges. Such is the case with this Namco title: It's plenty of fun but limited by its own format.

Like most other 3-D fighting games, Soul II doesn't have much of a story, just assorted warriors facing off in a tournament. It's just a matter of finding the right combinations of moves before the action becomes too easy. Within 35 minutes, I was able to finish the arcade mode without memorizing the buttons‹which, by the way, are oddly configured.

What's different is that this sequel is weapons-based. Plus, each version for the three major game platforms features a secret character. Soul Calibur II, which retails for $37.95, is thrilling in small doses.

About the author: Patrick Vuong is a Santa Ana, California-based free-lance journalist who trains in tai chi chuan, kung fu and kenpo.