With the inventive (and ambitious) World War 2 fantasy Inglorious Basterds (yes, the misspelling of Basterds is intentional), history has been re-written - TARANTINO STYLE! This exuberant cinematic experience (a sort of twisted, pulpy version of Defiance and Valkyrie) re-establishes Quentin Tarantino as one of our great film makers. High praise I know, but its true. With Pulp Fiction, Tarantino tossed out the screenwriting handbook and virtually re-wrote it. With Inglorious Basterds, he shows a new found level of maturity and restraint. This isn't to say that Tarantino ditches the stylistic flourishes he's known for and it certainly doesn't suggest that Inglorious Basterds is lacking in violence. Far from it. Its just with this film, the stylistic flourishes are in moderation and the violence - while often brutal and graphic - is almost poetic in nature.

While Inglorious Basterds was clearly fashioned by a passionate artist with a pure love for cinema, it should be noted that this film might not be what you're expecting. The trailers suggest that this is Tarantino's ode to the World War II epics of his youth. While there's certainly a little of that in there, Inglorious Basterds isn't so much a homage to films like The Great Escape as it is an extension of Kill Bill. Not in terms of tone or style (Inglorious Basterds is no kung fu movie), but in terms of its overall theme. At the heart of this story is a serious tale of revenge. Furthermore, it should be duly noted that those expecting to see a film about Aldo Raine (wonderfully played by a humorous Brad Pitt) and his men, keep in mind that this is an ensemble and that Raine and crew are not really the focal point of the movie.

Shosanna Dreyfus (sensationally played by the lovely Melanie Laurent) is a young Jewish woman who witnesses an unbearable tragedy at the hands of a vicious German by the name of Col. Hans Landa (brilliantly played by an award worthy Christoph Waltz). A few years have passed, and an older and wiser Shosanna is given a most unique opportunity for revenge. Also coming into play in this intricate ensemble is Lt. Aldo Raine and his merry men of Jewish/American soldiers. It seems that Raine and his crew don't take kindly to the way of the Nazi, so they make their way over enemy lines with one goal; to scalp as many Nazis (or as good ole boy Raine pronounces the word; "NAT-seize") as humanly possible. While Raine and his men never actually team up with a vengeful Shosanna, they do cross paths, culminating in a brilliantly conceived climax of epic proportions.

The first twenty minutes of this film knocked me on my ass! Its as dramatic as it is terrifying. An amazing feat given that this taut sequence simply revolves around two men having a conversation. And in fact, through the opening act, I thought that perhaps this wasn't a Tarantino movie at all. Then, at the peak of dramatic tension, one of these men does something that momentarily reminds us of whose film we're watching. Without giving too much away, Tarantino slips in the perfect tension breaker, and then settles right back into the confines of this powerful opening. There are several scenes like this throughout the film, but it's the beginning of the picture that truly sets the stage.

Tarantino is an outstanding director. A tension builder of the utmost precision. There are portions of this picture - including a brilliant sequence in a dingey, basement bar setting – that unfold like really great sex. I know that sounds like a bizarre analogy but that's just about the best way to describe it. There are times throughout the picture when Tarantino's stylistic flourishes are a bit distracting. Be it Samuel L. Jackson's voice over or some odd music cues (David Bowie's Cat People – Putting Out the Fire is a haunting tune and while lyrically it might be appropriate, tonally the song felt a bit intrusive). Certainly, there were a few times when I wish Tarantino would have dialed it back just a bit. Take for instance a sequence in which Aldo Raine and two of his men pose as Italians in an attempt to infiltrate a top secret screening of a Nazi propaganda film. This scene sparkles with humor but Tarantino opts to play the proceedings a little too broad. Still, this is what Tarantino does. He brings his animated, audacious spirit to the forefront of all his projects. He takes the genre he's working in and he makes it his own.

And as assured as Tarantino the director is, it is Tarantino the screenwriter whose really worth noting. His screenplay unfolds like a novel, and as is the case with most of this film maker's work (Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, etc.), Inglorious Basterds hosts an onslaught of colorful characters that I could listen to for hours. But Inglorious Basterds isn't only rich in colorful dialogue, it's also rich in character. True some of these characters--including the bigger than life Aldo Raine and the bat wielding Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz (played by Tarantino's pal and Hostel director Eli Roth)--are exaggerated to comical heights (I mean that in a good way). But others-- including a vulnerable but tough Shosanna Dreyfus and a despicable but very intelligent Hans Landa--keep the film grounded in reality.

There are those who complain that Tarantino is self indulgent and that stretches of Inglorious Basterds are bogged down by endlessly pointless chatter, but I certainly never felt that way. This is a long movie to be sure, but Tarantino's methodical pacing serves a grand purpose, and the final act of this picture is truly unforgettable. By the end of Inglorious Basterds you'll see that this isn't simply a homage to movies. Its really about the power of movies. In Tarantino's tweaked universe, movies save lives. It's a crazy, but surprisingly endearing conceit and not many film makers could get away with it.

In the film's last line of dialogue, Aldo Raine makes a proclamation that appears to have a double meaning. And while this particular line of dialogue suggests that Tarantino is being a little too presumptuous (I still believe Pulp Fiction to be his masterpiece), one thing is certain; Inglorious Basterds is a lively spectacle with one memorable scene after the next, and it will rank highly amongst the best films of the year.