I was expecting the humor. I was expecting the cartoon-like over the top graphic violence. I was expecting the quick and clever dialogue. I wasn’t quite expecting the visual splendor and drama Quentin puts in this film. The opening scene is so tense and dramatic. I didn’t think Tarantino would take a scene that seriously. He shows he can get great things out of the actors and one wonders what he could do if he chose to direct a “serious” movie. There are the classic Tarantino elements we come to expect: The complex storyline that we know will bring together seemingly unrelated sub-plots and a sound track that fits like a glove. It happens almost subconsciously. Here is a movie set in WWII occupied France and the music is from the 1970’s through today, and it just works beautifully. The cast is great, though Steve Buscemi seems to be missing. Brad Pitt is actually very good, and for once over acting helps the performance. The standout is naturally the main antagonist, Colonel Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz. He is just brilliant. There must be an Oscar nomination for him. He is hysterical one moment and really scary the next. The women are the usual smart, strong, beautiful femme fatale’s and especially elegant due to the 1940’s clothing. As in most Tarentino productions there is an homage to a genre and the post-war war movie gets the Quentin effect here. There is a bit of The dirty Dozen(1967), Kelly’s Heroes(1970), and Peckinpah’s Cross of Iron(1977). I’m sure there are allusions to other European war movies as well, including the Italian movie that has the same title, actually titled Quel maledetto treno blindato(1978). This is a very good movie and immensely entertaining. It shows that Quentin Tarantino is maturing and evolving as a director, but still has a unique style that is not like anything coming from the usual studios.