003 4 Very good movie . I strongly reccomend this movie to anyone who enjoys strange movies , because you've never ever seen a movie like this .
It's the future . . . Kids have stopped going to class , and are becoming pests . So the government has started a new program called the BATTLE ROYALE SURVIVAL PROJECT . What happens is that one class of 9th graders a year is chosen by impartial lottery to go onto a deserted island . The kids then get ' voted off ' the island . And by ' voted off ' I mean they kill each other . Each kid gets a bag , inside is food , water , a map , and a random weapon . With this weapon , they are ordered to kill each other until one remains .
This movie has everything . Violence , plot , character development ( somewhat - - enough to satasfy me ) , and an amazing story . It'll keep you on the end of your seat , or couch , or whatever .
Oh , and if you go out and see the new Tarantino movie , KILL BILL , the actress that plays Liu's bodyguard is one of the kids from Battle Royale .
Buy this movie . I can't stress it enough .
030 4 This is a great movie . The plot : Children are refusing to go to school and disobeying parents , so the government institutes BR ( Battle Royale ) to put the kids in their place . Class 3B , 9th graders , are all drugged and shipped to a deserted island where only one student can be the survivor . Each student is given a bag with supplies for their three day adventure and a miscellaniouse weapon .
I liked this movie soooo much because it made you think and also because the interaction between the students was intriguing . After all how would you behave if you had to kill your friends and class mates ?
034 4 Battle Royale is a shocking look into a definitely possible scenario : Young 9th graders are drugged and dragged onto an island , provided arms and forced to fight to the death until there is only one left .
The film was directed by FUKASAKU Kinji , and the film is one of the best movies I've ever seen .
004 4 this movie has alot of qualities that i liked from the start . the way the students tried to find a way around the game , the social interactions of the students , and the question of could you kill your best friend . the movie goes smoothly from the start , with everyone on the bus , and then comes to on the island . i even have a soft spot for kitano , the cookie eating teacher . the cast did a superb job giving the book characters life and keeping to the plot . and the fact that it didnt save characters that you get to like made it sad , yet , gave the sense that the students really were trying to survive . the one thing i like to point out is the way the students ' clicks fell apart after one or two days . some worked better as a team , while others got ripped apart at the seams .
026 4 Having never seen any Asian based films , I was skeptic of actually making this purchase . However , after hearing many great things , I decided to check this out , and was I glad . Likened to the asian version of Lord of the Flies , this film contrasts both teenage violence with a great storyline . A great film !
042 4 I'm not a fan of gore or violence . I wasn't sure this would be my thing . It is one of the most audacious and shocking things I have ever seen , and I found myself liking it in spite of myself . I've never seen anything quite like it . It is like the most vividly captured nightmare ever .
058 4 I liked this movie , but if you have read the book , you will be disappointed . The movie only loosely follows the book , and lots of the depth is lost .
067 4 This is a classic movie ! The English subtitles on this are pretty good and have very few errors . I would definitely recommend this product if you are interested in watching Battle Royale !
070 4 This is a sad story , classmates forced to fight each other to the death . Sure you might wish death on some of your classmates , but here we see classmates succumb to paranoia and full on survival instinct . A boy totally enamored by a fellow classmate and on the verge of raping her in this end of the world scenario is stabbed in the groin repeatedly by the dream that turns into a nightmare . A boy seeking out the girl of his dreams is killed by his dream . violence is the god of this movie , and to see friends kill each other is the libation for this new religion . This is definately not a movie to be missed .
080 4 The first time I saw this film was a copy of a copy of a Korean bootleg . . . and it was still good enough that I went out and bought the directors cut seen here .
096 4 fantastic concept . The movie was executed really well , the idea is really original . They do a good job developing the movie and the characters even though some are only there shortly .
104 4 I saw this movie in Japan at the cinemas . . . I was absolutely blown away on the graphic vioence that is shown ! ! ! It is the most outrageous movie ever ! ! . . .
114 4 Normally I hate reading subtitles . It takes my attention from the movie . This movie , however , was more then worth it . The way this movie brought together action , drama , romance and a little touch of mystery was extremely well written and flowed together nicely . Perfect date movie with something for everyone if they're over 16 .
033 4 Kinji Fukasaki's BATTLE ROYALE ( Batoru Rowaiaru , 2000 ) is the type of film whose reputation precedes it . Remade recently as The Condemned by the U.S . , the film sparked such controversy and almost became banned from its native Japan . Its hype was far-reaching that when the movie reached America , it was even proclaimed the ` movie of the decade ' . I'm not sure whether I can agree with that claim but one thing's for sure ; Japanese filmmakers had the guts to pull off a movie that depicts violence and murder done by teenagers . It is easy to dismiss Battle Royale as an action-packed , exploitive thriller but the movie is just so much more .
In a not-so different alternate future , Japan has experienced economic collapse with a massive unemployment rate . With no clear future , students begin to disrespect the education system , with an increase in riots and violence , student drop outs are also occurring at an alarming rate . To control the situation , the government enacts the Battle Royale Act that consists of the selection by secret lottery for one of the poorest performing class in the country and sending the students off to an island where they must fight each other to the death until only one is left standing . The students have 72 hours to complete the game or everyone dies from the explosive devices on their necks . They are supplied with random weapons , given special instructions to avoid danger zones and if they make trouble , the army will find them and kill them . Former friends are forced to kill or be killed ; the students experience mistrust , fear , confusion and hatred , as chaos run unchecked . . .
Battle Royale serves as a cautionary tale for the teen generation . It does start off simply enough , with themes of morality and immorality are presented in the film's first act . There is a small hole but the film's plot holds strong as Fukasaki's adaptation of the novel generates suspense and gritty thrills as there are no dull moments in the film . It also lets its characters speak for themselves , characterization is partly done through the use of flashbacks . Kitano ( played by Takashi Kitano ) is the former teacher who has his own issues , the students all have different backgrounds , and they all have different reactions to their situation as well differing motivations . I liked the characters especially those of Mitsuko ( played by Ayana Noguchi , her character shines in the Special version ) and Noriko ( Aki Maeda ) , they appear to be similar sides of the same coin although very different . Shuya Nanahara ( Tatsuya Fujiwara , Death Note ) is the one person who tries keep his moral beliefs , I may even go as far as his only motivation would be Noriko . Kawada ( Taro Yamamoto ) is the one student who was mostly an enigma throughout the film , his motivations remained unclear until the final act .
The film has a subtle but powerful social commentary as well but none as resounding as the message Fukasaki brings into exposition for teens . Fukasaki does keep the messages restrained to avoid the film from becoming ruined by a heavy-handed sentimentality . He brings the idea of working together which was formerly the foundation of Japanese society . Overtime , such teamwork collapses as the sheer pressure of survival proves too much as mistrust plants its ugly root . You see some students working as a team , but such team-ups are ultimately ruined by insecurity and fear . The film's final act resoundingly says that one has to trust each other wholeheartedly in order to achieve success . Fukasaki also encourages today's youth to go for it as if to say that the future is theirs for the taking ; believe in yourself and don't be too hasty in trusting adults . There are also several other strong messages in the film as certain dark themes in the complexities of everyday life are touched on ; jealousy , fear , meekness , dishonesty , love , shame and helplessness . The characters do have a way out of this situation and they must face the problem head-on ; they must do the best they can to deal with it . The reactions are pretty reflective of their own sense of morality ( or immorality ) .
The film has sparked strong controversy in America for its main premise of kids killing kids and while the violence is indeed brutal and uncompromising in this director's cut , it is not much as to how violent it is , ( I've seen films more violent and brutal ) but the film touches a nerve that makes it hard to see kids killing kids . . . it is not so much the act of killing but the who is doing the killing . It is pretty disturbing to see kids acting like this , some are scared that they commit suicide , some try to take advantage of others while others revel in the violence for fun . Having innocents put in a situation where they must kill people they know to survive is the troubling part of the film . I also think that Fukasaki cautions teenagers from mocking adults and to mind themselves otherwise , the repercussions of their actions may be just be too much .
The dramatic scenes aren't overwrought and I liked the even direction done by Fukasaki . He never allowed his social commentaries or his heavy themes and messages mess with the film's action and violence . Fukasaki appears to also be poking fun at the dramatic sequences that anyone can form an attachment to the film even by approaching it from an exploitive , unadulterated dark fun standpoint . The film is also suspenseful as you see the death toll rise up after each ` update ' , one can easily feel dread wondering whether the characters they've rooted for would survive . ( 6 - 8 of them take center stage )
America easily proclaimed the film as brutal , violent and uncompromising but truth be told , the violence in Battle Royale isn't something new to the experienced movie watcher . The blood and guts ( with mild gore ) does help the film along , but it isn't all about the action but a matter of which Fukasaki delivers his message to Japanese society . Takeshi Kitano is awesome as usual and Masanobu Ando is creepy as the student who never speaks . Chiaki Kuriyama ( plays Chigusa ) caught Tarantino's eye that she played Go-go Yubari in Kill Bill . ( Did I fail to mention that this is among QT's favorite films ? ) Battle Royale is far more than an action film that glorifies blood and violence , some would say that it is simply an orgy of violent behavior while others who see the message will absolutely adore the film . It is one film that has the balls to portray violence that has real emotions going for it . One thing's for sure , it is one film that will never be forgotten and one that which Hollywood wishes it thought of the idea first - - or had the guts to pull it off .
What was that some say that Asian directors can't keep up with the big-shots of Hollywood ? Those who said that deserve a Spider Finger Jab in the face . . .
Highly Recommended ! [ 4 ½ Stars ]
001 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale [ Region 3 ] ( DVD )
I have to admit that this movie moved me on many levels . After getting over the initial shock of what is , for very good reason , considered to be not just a violent film but also a very disturbing one in terms of subject - this movie I am convinced is destined to become a cult classic . As mentioned previously , Battle Royale is an unforgiving movie but like all great films there are pockets of resistance and liberation . This exceedingly disturbing and deeply saddening film about watching young kids killing each other out of a primal need to survive should disturb anyone with a shred of humanity left in them . What should be noted is that in this case of art imitating life it opens up a portal of consideration of how people may react in this type of situation and the inherent complexity contained therein .
No matter what critics say about its violence Battle Royale is really a story about character . Based on the novel by Takami Koshun , Battle Royale is provocative on many . One way to see the movie is in terms of a not so distant future Japan ( which is this case can stand in as a metaphor to other countries ) where the government's trepidation about rampant juvenile delinquency and the a lost generation's blatant disregard for order and the rule of law has caused it seek more immediate and less creative ways to deal with the problem , the solution : the systematic annihilation of teenagers . In this case , selected groups of high school kids are deceived and carted of to an undisclosed location , given weapons and supplies and a mission - to kill each other . In an orgy of blood and gore the last person standing is allowed to go home . This , at least for me , brings up two very difficult questions : Is it a story about extermination or discipline ? If it is , what possible benefit can be derived from this ?
Returning quickly to the issue of character , it is interesting to see how director Kinji Fukasaku and writer Kenta Fukasuka bring Takami Koshun's novel to the screen . It is also interesting to see how director Fukasaku controls a herd of cats in a powerhouse cast of 40 + characters that includes Beat Takeshi's rendition of Kitano as well as the portrayal of Shuya ( Tatsuya Fujiwara ) , Noriko ( Aki Maeda ) , Shougo ( Taro Yamamoto ) , Kazou ( Masanobu Ando ) , Mitsuko ( Kou Shibasaki ) and Takako ( by Kill Bill's Chiaki Kuriyama ) . I was intrigued to seeing how some of the characters reacted to stressful situations that in some places ( unless you watch the film at least twice ) are lost around the films central motif of extreme ruthlessness and violence .
Needless to say that despite the films wicked cinematography and primitivistic tendencies - it being set in a tropical island and all - not to mention the almost mandatory erotic undertones , it is more than anything , a movie about a society on the verge of imploding . It is noted that Fukasaku's motivations for making the movie transcend politics and society . Dilemma : if your survival rested on you killing your best friends , would you do it ? This is the circumstance in Battle Royale and it is a very provocative one . This brutal premise and what happens next is inevitably - a very cruel film . Fukasaku rendition has a Lord of the Fliesesque quality about it . I cannot stress how great a movie this is though . Overall , this is one of the most thought provoking , disturbing , and powerful films released . I was not surprised that this film has not been released in the US but just like the saga of RINGU - my guess is that inevitably this film will be hijacked as well - it is the Hollywood way .
Another layer to be uncovered from this blood-soaked saga is how Fukasaku calls to question a Japanese society whose rage over youth delinquency ( as mentioned previously ) and has gone so far to imagine a ` final solution . ' If it was Fukasaku's intent , it got me thinking that if such a solution were put in place the results would be a fight to the death will be a traumatized , angry and extremely mentally agile mind would be released back on society - making the problem doubly worse - as if the society is cultivating violence . In Battle Royale Fukasaku is thought provoking again in that he allows for pockets of resistance and moments of female empowerment . The sub-plot of hacking in to the system and destroying the whole game and the scenes with Mitsuko ( Kou Shibasaki ) although not unique add a particular liberating quality to the film . However there still is lingering the disturbing theme of Battle Royale , dealing as it does with the corollary of a system of violence transferred from generation to generation thus perpetuating a cycle of violence . In the end , the hub of the Battle Royale films is that violence without doubt impacts children . Is this what we want as a future for them ? A wild , sexy , and thought provoking film that begs to be watched more than one time to be fully appreciated .
Miguel Llora
002 4 I have to admit that this movie moved me on many levels . After getting over the initial shock of what is , for very good reason , considered to be not just a violent film but also a very disturbing one in terms of subject - this movie I am convinced is destined to become a cult classic . As mentioned previously , Battle Royale is an unforgiving movie but like all great films there are pockets of resistance and liberation . This exceedingly disturbing and deeply saddening film about watching young kids killing each other out of a primal need to survive should disturb anyone with a shred of humanity left in them . What should be noted is that in this case of art imitating life it opens up a portal of consideration of how people may react in this type of situation and the inherent complexity contained therein .
No matter what critics say about its violence Battle Royale is really a story about character . Based on the novel by Takami Koshun , Battle Royale is provocative on many . One way to see the movie is in terms of a not so distant future Japan ( which is this case can stand in as a metaphor to other countries ) where the government's trepidation about rampant juvenile delinquency and the a lost generation's blatant disregard for order and the rule of law has caused it seek more immediate and less creative ways to deal with the problem , the solution : the systematic annihilation of teenagers . In this case , selected groups of high school kids are deceived and carted of to an undisclosed location , given weapons and supplies and a mission - to kill each other . In an orgy of blood and gore the last person standing is allowed to go home . This , at least for me , brings up two very difficult questions : Is it a story about extermination or discipline ? If it is , what possible benefit can be derived from this ?
Returning quickly to the issue of character , it is interesting to see how director Kinji Fukasaku and writer Kenta Fukasuka bring Takami Koshun's novel to the screen . It is also interesting to see how director Fukasaku controls a herd of cats in a powerhouse cast of 40 + characters that includes Beat Takeshi's rendition of Kitano as well as the portrayal of Shuya ( Tatsuya Fujiwara ) , Noriko ( Aki Maeda ) , Shougo ( Taro Yamamoto ) , Kazou ( Masanobu Ando ) , Mitsuko ( Kou Shibasaki ) and Takako ( by Kill Bill's Chiaki Kuriyama ) . I was intrigued to seeing how some of the characters reacted to stressful situations that in some places ( unless you watch the film at least twice ) are lost around the films central motif of extreme ruthlessness and violence .
Needless to say that despite the films wicked cinematography and primitivistic tendencies - it being set in a tropical island and all - not to mention the almost mandatory erotic undertones , it is more than anything , a movie about a society on the verge of imploding . It is noted that Fukasaku's motivations for making the movie transcend politics and society . Dilemma : if your survival rested on you killing your best friends , would you do it ? This is the circumstance in Battle Royale and it is a very provocative one . This brutal premise and what happens next is inevitably - a very cruel film . Fukasaku rendition has a Lord of the Fliesesque quality about it . I cannot stress how great a movie this is though . Overall , this is one of the most thought provoking , disturbing , and powerful films released . I was not surprised that this film has not been released in the US but just like the saga of RINGU - my guess is that inevitably this film will be hijacked as well - it is the Hollywood way .
Another layer to be uncovered from this blood-soaked saga is how Fukasaku calls to question a Japanese society whose rage over youth delinquency ( as mentioned previously ) and has gone so far to imagine a ` final solution . ' If it was Fukasaku's intent , it got me thinking that if such a solution were put in place the results would be a fight to the death will be a traumatized , angry and extremely mentally agile mind would be released back on society - making the problem doubly worse - as if the society is cultivating violence . In Battle Royale Fukasaku is thought provoking again in that he allows for pockets of resistance and moments of female empowerment . The sub-plot of hacking in to the system and destroying the whole game and the scenes with Mitsuko ( Kou Shibasaki ) although not unique add a particular liberating quality to the film . However there still is lingering the disturbing theme of Battle Royale , dealing as it does with the corollary of a system of violence transferred from generation to generation thus perpetuating a cycle of violence . In the end , the hub of the Battle Royale films is that violence without doubt impacts children . Is this what we want as a future for them ? A wild , sexy , and thought provoking film that begs to be watched more than one time to be fully appreciated .
Miguel Llora
005 4 I must clarify what this movie is about , Wilmington , NC's review is completely misleading .
A shocking tale set in Japan . The government has labeled the next generation ( students ) the reason to degredation in society . They have greated a BR ( Battle Royale ) program that places one school class on a deserted island .
Class 3B was chosen ( 9th graders , highschoolers ) . Awaking on the island they find metal colars on their necks and their teacher explains that they have been chosen for this year's Battle Royale . . .
The Rules : They are given weapons and are forced to kill each other . Only the last one surviving will be able to go home .
Why comply to these rules ? If there isnt a winner in 3 days , the colars on the students necks will explode , and no one goes home .
Some students form alliances , others will allow nothing to keep them from the win . . .
The producer meant the movie to be for kids the age of those used in the film ( highschool ) and older , however to his dissapointment the movie was rated R . . .
006 4 Battle Royale is a superb film , subtle and sad and over-the-top and loud all at the same time . The story is often compared to Lord of the Flies , but that is a bit of a misnomer . Lord of the Flies was about reverting to primitivism , whereas Battle Royale is a futuristic cautionary tale in the tune of 1984 and Brave New World . The caution at work here is the threat of absolute bureaucracy , and the dangers of the loss of the value of life and respect in a rules-dominated society . This is a threat quite apparent in modern Japan .
The actors in Battle Royale all deliver excellent performances , including the amazing talent Beat Takeshi Kitano playing the appropriately named Kitano . The film was not directed by Takeshi however , so it lacks his beautiful visual style . It does however feature one of his riveting paintings . There is a good range of responses from the various actors playing the students , from outright suicide , to panic , to a drive to win to a drive to help . Unfortunately , the character of Kazuo Kiriyama ( the machine gun boy ) is woefully underdeveloped , and instead of the fierce , cold genius of the book he is a somewhat characterless villain .
While a violent film , I wouldn't characterize Battle Royale as an action film per se . Anyone looking for a Hong Kong-style action film should realize that Japan and China are quite different countries with different approach to movies . . Battle Royale retains the quietude and patient pacing that is the hallmark of Japanese cinema , and which leaves some viewers bored , who are used to a quicker pacing . The bloodshed , while in great quantity , is also more cartoony in nature , which is also more typical of Japanese films , which does not favor a naturalistic approach .
I think some familiarity with problems in modern Japan ( ie : school violence , overwhelming bureaucracy ) gives some necessary perspective to this controversial movie , and helps frame it as more than exploitation . It is a political statement , with a subtle message underlying the overt violence . Along with this , knowledge of Japanese culture deepens the understandings of certain scenes , such as when Kitano performs the prescribed exercises , and the training video shown at the beginning . Without understanding , these scenes might come off as merely quaint or odd .
007 4 Even though the movie is billed as a cult flic supposedly full of horror and violence , it is in fact a very sweet tale of coming to age with a obligatory happy ending . Since it is a Japanese movie , it is full of turning people into sushi scenes obviously , but this is as expected .
I would suggest to not to watch it with kids as some scenes could be misinterpreted ; for example it is hard to explain that hacking someone with a icepick could be a positive experience for all parties involved .
As expected , icing on a cake is Chiaki Kuriyama , the scene where she finishes a boy in a very deserving way after he makes a couple of lewd comments will bring much joy to hearts of feminists worlwide .
Rated 5 out of 5 , must have for all Japanese cinema aficionados .
008 4 Before you type out a retaliatory positive review - read on !
I want to start off by saying I absolutely LOVE Battle Royale - It is most certainly on my list of favorite movies . HOWEVER - this ' Director's Cut ' is total garbage .
Sadly , as with the case for many ' Special Edition ' DVDs , Battle Royale : Director's Cut adds unnecessary footage that does nothing to enhance the film . The end is extending by 8 minutes or so - and delves into a sort of epilogue and series of dream sequences .
The Battle Royale wiki explains the changes here : ( . . . )
No attempt was made to clean up the subtitles : I can ignore misspellings and incorrect conjugations - however at one point the subtitles ran off the screen . The subtitles in the added scenes were far worse than that of the rest of the movie .
I am not bashing Battle Royale ; I want people to buy the regular version and forget that this Director's Cut is even an option .
009 4 This is a great movie . Its is so disturbing not because a bunch of friends are forced to kill each other but because of the way everything is handled . Every violent act is done is a screwed up humorous way . I prefer this movie over the long winded book which you have to strain yourself to read the violence . Also the manga gets a little boring at times and is more of a porno than anything else . The movie has great acting and is never hard to understand . Its also not ' too artsy ' . its perfect . It is way better than the second one . Every character is fully developed and most have back stories . Its hard to do that in any movie especially one where there are so many characters . There was one weird moment where the main girl character has a dream . That's really the only part I didn't understand . In all I would say that this film is a turn gold standard of Japanese films . Its one of my all time favorites .
011 4 Although the setting of the story is a little bit overstretched in terms of reality ( a whole class of teenagers is punished to take the Battle Royale course of self-extermination in futuristic Japan ) the result is a very powerful film which presents the feelings and behavior of ordinary youths put under extreme stress in a fascinating way . There is a profusion of blood and brutal violence in some scenes but the film is so terrific that fixes you in your seat . Expect a big surprise in the finale !
012 4 When one looks past the modest production values and few scenes where the acting seems a bit unrealistic ( or perhaps simply to my American eye ) , Battle Royale succeeds in it's aims and succeeds as a movie . The fear of a situation of being pitted in a life or death situation was well-captured , and overall the acting was very good , especially considering the fact that besides Beat Takeshi , all of the other central are played by relative newcomers .
This may seem like an extremely violent film at face value , but Fukasaku tries hard not to overdo the violence and gore , and holds either a certain respect for or a certain humor of the portrayal of death ( the one over-the-top scene seems more comedic than sickening , and seems fitting , due to the character's role as an antagonist ) . Because of the strive for realistic death , and because of the good acting in the scenes between the violence , characters are able to grow . Death of some of the more central characters begin to carry emotional weight , despite the cast of 40 - odd characters packed into a 2 hour film . This is where I found Battle Royale a good film ; despite amazingly short screen times for most of the characters , Fukasaku is still able to make us care about them , to sympathize with a position we will never find ourself in .
Now on to a completely different topic . . . As for this Director's cut from Amazon , I found it included some nice additional footage , from typical cast reviews to video of the whole cast celebrating Fukasaku's birthday . However , the quality of the picture of these as well as the movie was a bit grainy and of a lower quality than I'm used to , to the point where the DVD feels a bit like a bootleg . And because of the more than modest price of the DVD , I'd personally recommend you first look for other options . This copy wasn't terrible , but there are probably better versions at better prices .
013 4 Battle Royale was much talked-about in the United States back in 2001 , but it took a while to get here , allegedly because distributors were reluctant to promote 2 hours of teenagers on a killing spree . The film is based on the popular Japanese novel by Koushun Takami , whose considerable length condenses surprisingly well to a fast-paced feature film . In a dystopian future , Japan is at risk of societal collapse from high unemployment , economic stagnation , and general discontent . Youth bully their teachers and boycott school . The BR Act is passed , authorizing the government to select classes of 9th graders to be confined to a deserted island and forced to fight each other to the death until only one student remains .
Shuya ( Tatsuya Rujiwara ) is a thoughtful young man who lost both of his parents to Japan's bad times . On a class trip , he and his classmates are drugged , transported to the island where they will be forced to take part in the Battle Royale , and fitted with electronic collars that monitor their movements . Their bombastic teacher Kitano ( Beat Takeshi ) explains the rules of the game and distributes a survival kit and one weapon to each of the 42 students , including 2 mysterious exchange students . If more than one person survives 3 days , they all die . We follow Shuya and his friend Noriko ( Aki Maeda ) as they come to grips with their situation and try to survive with the aid of Kawada ( Taro Yamamoto ) , an older student whose purpose is not at first clear .
The film strays from the book in some details but is substantively similar . We don't get to know the secondary characters as well , so questions of trust are not as complex as in the book . The instructor Kitano is fleshed out more in the film and comes across as a lonely and strangely pathetic man . It's interesting to observe how the various personalities react to the game , from the young lovers who commit suicide to the sickle-wielding vamp Mitsuko ( Kou Shibasaki ) who is determined to win . The politics behind the BR Act is simplified and more coherent in the film . Adults fear youth , because their refusal to accept the values of their elders will exacerbate social collapse . The BR Act forces young people to compete ruthlessly or perish . Kitano's sick sense of humor provides comic relief . Battle Royale is a bloody , unsubtle satire , but it's entertaining .
014 4 Certainly one of the most original and impressive movies of the last years , Battle Royale presents an intriguing premise and a superb execution . In a near future , the Japanese Government concludes that the downfall of the country is increasing due to the shallowness and free spirit of its youngsters . In order to make kids more motivated and capable , a special unit sends a high-school class to a desert island where the students will have to kill each other until only one survives . If they refuse to do that , they all will be killed within three days .
Yes , this is a far fetched concept , still it works surprinsigly well and manages to be a superb comment on the grim , hopeless and desperate atmosphere that surrounds modern societies . Battle Royale isn ` t an easy movie to watch , since some parts are truly shocking , gut-wrenching and unexpected , yet it ` s a strong and memorable cinematic experience , different from most of the disposable and formulaic flicks around . It expertly mixes drama , tension , horror , action , humour and gore , managing to be compelling and consistent throughout .
The character development is good enough , but it ` s hard to develop so many characters ( around 40 ) at once . It ` s interesting to see how people react when they have to face such an extreme situation , acting under fear and suspition while dealing with their schoolmates . Battle Royale could easily have turned into a violent and empty sequence of action numbers with cool camera angles , but it wisely avoids that perspective and instead creates a gripping , multi-layered and complex narrative .
This is a superb effort that approaches key subjects like the first steps into adulthood , the conditions of love and friendship , trust and commitment , loneliness and individualism , future choices , totalitary systems and life in general . A gloomy , dark and ambiguous achievement , this Kinji Fukasaku effort delivers a surreal social commentary with some incredibly clever , poignant and creative ideas .
An unforgettable battle .
015 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
Many other people have already written some very informative reviews of this movie , so I won't discuss the actual film except to say that I have enjoyed it very , very much . Also , everybody I have made to watch Battle Royale is always blown away !
What I really want to write about here are the details about this particular DVD edition . It is , indeed , a region-free DVD and should , therefore , be viewable with any DVD player . This edition was apparantly produced specifically for the US and other English-speaking nations as the information on the case cover is entirely in English . I suspect that it is possibly a bootleg but the quality is great ! The transfer is very good and the subtitles are excellent ! This disc contains a lot of interesting special features , most of which also contain good English subtitles .
I previously purchased a 2 - disc Korean version of this movie also containing English subtitles . For the most part , the subtitles here are the same as the Korean edition . However , the subtitles are more clearly presented in the this edition and are better timed ! Also , there are a few occasions ( not many , but they are there ) in the Korean edition where the subtitles don't make a bit of sense . That problem has been corrected in this edition . The special features on this disc appear to be the same as those on the second disc of the Korean edition . The Korean disc , however , does not have subtitles for any of the special features .
All in all , this Uncut Special Edition of Battle Royale ( labelled Battle Royale Directors Cut on Amazon ) appears to be about the best version available for American audiences ! Unfortunately , this excellent film has never been distributed domestically in the US , and it probably never will . There has been some confusion about this . Many people are under the impression that Battle Royale has been banned in the US . This is simply not true . Battle Royale was a blockbuster in the Japanese theaters upon its original release in 2000 . Therefore , Toei studios is demanding far more money for US distribution rights than any US distributor would ever be willing to pay .
I would highly recommend this movie for fans of thought-provoking action movies ! There are many versions available . So be careful when making your selection .
016 4 Many other people have already written some very informative reviews of this movie , so I won't discuss the actual film except to say that I have enjoyed it very , very much . Also , everybody I have made to watch Battle Royale is always blown away !
What I really want to write about here are the details about this particular DVD edition . It is , indeed , a region-free DVD and should , therefore , be viewable with any DVD player . This edition was apparantly produced specifically for the US and other English-speaking nations as the information on the case cover is entirely in English . I suspect that it is possibly a bootleg but the quality is great ! The transfer is very good and the subtitles are excellent ! This disc contains a lot of interesting special features , most of which also contain good English subtitles .
I previously purchased a 2 - disc Korean version of this movie also containing English subtitles . For the most part , the subtitles here are the same as the Korean edition . However , the subtitles are more clearly presented in the this edition and are better timed ! Also , there are a few occasions ( not many , but they are there ) in the Korean edition where the subtitles don't make a bit of sense . That problem has been corrected in this edition . The special features on this disc appear to be the same as those on the second disc of the Korean edition . The Korean disc , however , does not have subtitles for any of the special features .
All in all , this Uncut Special Edition of Battle Royale ( labelled Battle Royale Directors Cut on Amazon ) appears to be about the best version available for American audiences ! Unfortunately , this excellent film has never been distributed domestically in the US , and it probably never will . There has been some confusion about this . Many people are under the impression that Battle Royale has been banned in the US . This is simply not true . Battle Royale was a blockbuster in the Japanese theaters upon its original release in 2000 . Therefore , Toei studios is demanding far more money for US distribution rights than any US distributor would ever be willing to pay .
I would highly recommend this movie for fans of thought-provoking action movies ! There are many versions available . So be careful when making your selection .
017 4 The book is one of my favorites , and I wanted to give a review for those curious how it handles the epic scale that is the book . The movie wasn't bad , but it could have been handled a little better . One great thing about the book is it's incredible character focus . Each and every one of the 42 students had a background and a story to go with them . Most of them were interconnected either as friends or enemies or even secret crushes ( and there were numerous ) .
And unfortunately , this is where the movie brings its first major issue . Obviously , it can't focus on 42 different characters like the book can , but it didn't even keep the same kind of feel for some of the characters . Shogo , who was my favorite character in the book , was much less mysterious and much less cool in the movie than he was in the book . Hiroki , who was another one of my favorites , had much less of an importance in the movie than the book , and he also lost his best character quality because of his lack of screen time - - his unstoppable devotion . And the mystery of why he was hunting down the second of the two girls was played out much more in the book , though I do think the eventual scene that occurs between them was done quite well in the film . Shinji's character was reduced to almost non-existent , Shuya became incredibly whiny , and any and all background or explanation for Kazuo was just left out . Mitsuko , however , was done rather decently , and there's a scene that's in the director's cut that helps explain to those who haven't read the book a bit about her past ( though it is altered quite a bit ) . On the upside , although they changed the teacher / director character completely from the book to the film ( it is not a former teacher or any of that in the book ) , I like how they added more humanity and even some pity to his character in the film . There was more depth to that character in the film than in the book .
But I think the biggest issue with all of these character changes came from trying to turn a 600 + page book into a two-hour movie . And while those two hours moved by incredibly fast ( didn't even feel like two hours ) , the whole movie felt like how the first fifteen-to-twenty minutes of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire went ( 200 pages of book crammed into that tiny period ) . It had a lot of tiny bits of information of characters and scenarios here and there , and those were always fun to catch as a reader of the book , but it still left out or altered too much . For instance , the huge explosion and the scene that leads up to it at the end of the movie occurs around the two-thirds mark of the book . . . not the climax . And the final showdown with Kazuo was incredibly lame in the movie in comparison to the book . . . not to mention because of the ending's incredible alteration , one of my favorite ( and one of the most powerful , I think ) lines in the book wasn't in the movie . I don't want to list all the alterations and discrepancies between the two works , but I will list one more major one that was left out : the anti-government and rock-n-roll stuff . That all played such an enormous part of the book , and besides one scene where you see Shuya playing guitar in a flashback , there's no mention of it whatsoever , and that also took away from the power of the ending , making it more cheesy because it didn't rely back on a major theme .
Now , I didn't hate the movie . I just felt that while the book had a more powerful feeling behind it , the movie was reduced to almost nothing more than a common action movie . But looking at the movie as a movie instead of an adaptation , it was pretty entertaining . It wasn't super gory or anything , and the blood was more along the lines of Quentin Tarantino ( you can tell it's fake , and it's in excess at certain moments to make a point ) . The action was pretty good , though the character development , even looking at it from a non-adaptation standpoint , could have used some work . As I said , at least in the director's cut , the teacher and Mitsuko's characters were handled pretty well . Noriko was similar to how she was in the book ( she's more of a symbol than anything ) , though the danger level of her survival is much more suspenseful in the book ( the book plays up on her initial wound and possible infection from it much more than the movie , which takes roughly one minute to tackle that whole issue ) . Shogo could have been done a lot better . He's not shown enough to where you can get a good sense of his character before the big end reveal . And Shuya seemed to be more of a prop in the movie than anything . The other major characters , such as Hiroki and Shinji , were dwindled down to mere plot devices . And I think with a lot of the stuff the writer of the film tried to put into the movie version might confuse some of the people who hadn't read the book version , because there were some things that were brought up or shown but never explained .
One last thing to bring up is the music ( and the cinematography ) . I figured , from the book , the music would be some old school rock songs , but as that whole theme was removed from the film , they used a lot of classical music or orchestral music . And I have to say , for the most part , I really enjoyed that choice . Though some of the time it was too much and took me out of the scene , but overall , I really liked how the music was done for this film . That just really struck me as something to mention . And to touch on the cinematography briefly . . . nothing special , though the scene toward the end with the fire after the explosion was pretty cool looking .
Overall , without looking at the film as an adaptation , I might give it a star higher . But this review is written for those curious about how it adds up to the book . As an adaptation , I would have given it a 2 . As a non-adaptation , maybe a 4 . So I'm meeting in the middle .
018 4 I actually got a bootleg version of this movie on ebay and am now just buying it from Amazon . What the amazon info gives you is most of the story of the movie but when you finally see it you will come to understand why it is such a cult icon movie both and Japan and the United States . As you see the movie you feel that the director actually got how a real-life person would react in this situation could you kill you're best friend or another person you knew to survive.The acting from all the people I felt was great and they brought out the emotion you felt that character would have in that situation.The killings though bloody aren't any worse than what you see in any PG17 or R-rated movie there are suggested sex scenarios ( What I mean by that is you see in one scene a pool with a few boys in the nude dead and the girl who killed them dressing up and leaving . ) For the price of this movie I say it's worth it but again just to specify this is definitely not a family viewing movie
019 4 Director : Kinji Fukasaku .
A stunningly original , if intensely graphic satire , Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale is based around the concept of 42 school children being taken to a remote Pacific island to engage in a very real death match . Set in a Japanese colony of the very near future , the action follows those youngsters as they are dispatched on the island where with three days worth of arms and food , they must fight to the death . The ultimate winner - and , of course , there can be only one - is then deemed fit to retake their place in Japanese society . In equal measures , violent and humourous , Battle Royale ignores the accepted parameters of the average action movie , and instead offers a savage critique of the pressures and motivations of young people in today's society . As you'd expect for a movie with killing as its central theme , there's a tremendous amount of bloodshed in Battle Royale but , believe it or not , it's thoughtfully handled by the director .
020 4 Kinji Fukasaku's 2000 film Battle Royale has attracted fans from all over the world with its controversy and ultraviolence . Set in an alternate reality , a ninth grade class is outfitted with weapons and food for a few days , let loose on an evacuated island , and forced to kill one another until only one is left standing . Electronic collars around their necks keep track of their movements and ensure that the players don't do anything suspicious . The forty-two students involved in the game face a great dilemma : what do you do ? Which friends can you trust , if any ? Do you run and hide , commit suicide , find your friends and hope for the best , or . . . play the game ? With danger and death looming around every corner , these students must make decisions that reflect their character , decisions that ultimately decide their fate .
The movie itself is totally unlike anything you'll see coming from the United States . The adolescent violence is a constant theme , never allowing the viewer to breathe for too long . Touching exchanges between the ill-fated characters provide a strong dramatic element to go along with the action . And , believe it or not , there is some great black humor thrown in to boot . Though not for the faint of heart , Battle Royale is an incredible tale of will and survival , and it challenges its viewers to think about what they would do in a similar situation .
Notable for his acting is the great Takeshi Kitano , who plays the students ' former teacher and runs the Battle Royale program this time around . Tatsuya Fujiwara ( Nanahara ) and Aki Maeda ( Noriko ) are the main characters , and most of the action revolves around them and what they see . Taro Yamamoto ( Kawada ) plays a mysterious transfer into the class , and his motives are unknown to the others . Chiaki Kuriyama ( Chigusa ) of Kill Bill fame catches the eye of more than one student , and shows that she can do far more than swing a ball and chain . Kou Shibasaki ( Mitsuko ) and Masanobu Ando ( Kiriyama ) round out the main cast as two wild students who aim to mow down everyone in their path .
The DVD is a special version of the original film , with about eight additional minutes of footage involved . These extra scenes add some backstory to many of the characters and highlight what life was like before they were chosen for the game . Recurring scenes of a basketball game show the unity of the class - a stark contrast to what the rules of the game suggest , and what they force these kids to do . There are also some additional shots of the students ' reactions . The action is digitally enhanced , with the gunshots sounding louder and the blood splattering further than in the original version .
The special features , absent in the original DVD release of the film , show that the actors and actresses really are just kids . Most of the features show them having a good time and enjoying themselves on set . Some promotional material and short interviews with the cast and director are included as well . Not all of the special features are subtitled in English , but the subtitles that are used are top-notch , especially in the feature film .
All in all , this is a great disc to pick up if you've never heard of Battle Royale - or even if you have .
021 4 This movie is truly awesome . It works on every level from social commentary / satire , horror , action , drama , romance , and just pure fun . This is what people who dismiss subtitled films are really missing out on . Now that I'm done gushing , I'll give you the review . The film involves a group of around 40 students in a classroom that has been randomly chosen for the government's BR ( Battle Royale . . . . duh ! ) program . The children are gassed and placed on a secluded island where they are shown a hilariously satirical ( and extremely upbeat ) instructional video instructing them that they are to kill each other and the last boy or girl standing gets to go home . Each student receives a package containing water , map , compass , etc . and a weapon , some useless like a soup pot lid and some lethal , such as a sickle or even a machine gun . Any resistance explodes a steel collar that has been placed around each student's neck . Let the carnage begin ! Kill Bill fans will recognize one familiar face in the brilliantly psychotic Chiaki Kuriyama ( minus her ball-and-chain ) . As the killfest commences , different strategies emerge . Some students seek and destroy their former comrades while others band together and hide out and some simply do themselves in rather than participate in the blood bath . Some even hatch a plot to hack into the BR computer system and bring the battle to a halt . Then there's that mysterious exchange student who showed up in class for the first time on the day of the Battle Royale and seems just a little too thrilled with it all as he mows down everyone he comes across without a word . So much fun ! You see each and every death and the movie counts down the students as they die until it's all over . The battles are very gritty and real ; sorry , no kung fu or anime-style sword battles . This is the most enjoyable foreign film I've seen since Versus , and this is by far the better film . If you have even heard of this movie you owe it to yourself to own it . It begs to be watched again and again . Heck , with such a strong premise , Battle Royale could be a franchise in the making ; it could literally be remade a dozen ways and still kick ass . Anyhow check it out , you won't be dissappointed .
022 4 Look at the reviews on this page . Almost 25 reviews , almost all 5 star . Wonder why ? This is one of the greatest movies ever made , simply because of the plot . The amateur filming ( shaky camera , etc ) only adds to the rawness of this movie . Buy it right now , you wont find a movie that will make you think this much . 5 / 5
023 4 One of my personal favortie movies . Easily a good watch , even if you don't normally like subtitles . This movie will keep you up at night , asking yourself What if . . .
What if you were forced to kill your entire high school class ? what if you watched your best friend die right in front of your face ? what would you do ? would you run , hide , and wait things out , or would you strategize , fight your friends , or fight the system .
Tatsuya is a phenominal director , and has fantastically created this movie to seem very much like real life , much as was done in 28 Days Later .
The movie is a fantastic display of human nature . everyone has a story . I also highly suggest that you read the book or the manga , as it is far more detailed .
and as for those who have already read the book , you , unfortunately , will be disapointed to find that many parts of the book are summed over .
However , Battle Royale is still a fantastic book , and a great dvd with plenty of exciting extras .
highly suggested
024 4 Definitely the best DVD for region one customers . Almost all of the special features are subbed in English , and the transfer and audio are top notch . Should have been spread out on 2 discs , but still an amazing buy for the price .
Strongly recommended .
025 4 Battle Royale : 10 / 10 : Another classic is born . A fantastic combination of classical music and ultra-violence like a Japanese Clockwork Orange . Here is one Japanese film the major studios will not be remaking anytime soon .
The plot consists of a junior high school class sent to a deserted island , given weapons that vary in usefulness , and are ordered to kill each other . Oh and they have those exploding collars that are ubiquitous in sci-fi films today so if they don't kill all their classmates everyone dies .
The actors are actual kids and the film turns the bloody up to eleven . Add in child suicide , child prostitution , patricide , and worst of all basketball and you have yourself a winner .
Battle Royale falls solidly in the category of Dawn of the Dead or Kill Bill where it transcends its obvious pulp and horror appeal and says larger things about life as a whole .
But who am I kidding non-stop action , hot chicks in schoolgirl outfits , very dark humor and a great classical music score . Kind of like She's All That if Freddy Prinze Jr . killed a classmate every two minutes then had his head blown off by remote control . Throw in Anna Paquin dismembering Rachael Leigh Cooke with a fondue fork and that should give you the picture .
Man that movie would rule Sorry went all fan boy there for a minute . Battle Royale has deep things to say about society and is an important landmark film . [ . . . ] .
027 4 This is for Phasmatrope - - - I ordered this edition of Battle Royale from amazon and it's REGION 0 ( all region ) , and plays fine in both my REGION 1 DVD players as well as my portable DVD player and the DVD player on my computer .
028 4 The movie which was made after the novel written by Koushoun Takami is Japan's high-octane thriller . A story about a class of students forced to fight to death on an island by their fascist government . This movie shows how the bonds of friendship and trust are broken by the will of self-survival . The cinematography in thise movie wasn't awesome , but it didn't matter . Great characters , plot , and an amazingly original idea make this movie great . Not all will like it , but if you have read the novel and enjoyed it , you will also enjoy the movie .
029 4 Battle Royale might be perceived as another Kill Bill , a Survivor mockery where it showcases a bunch of students battling each other to death in style . Well , quite the contrary ( despite my misleading title ) . Chiaki Kuriyama ( Gogo in Kill Bill ) fans will be disappointed here since her role here was akin to being a cameo , although she excelled in her brief part . Not surprisingly after the success of Kill Bill , the name Battle Royale lingered among die-hard movie fans . Here , Kill Bill fans will realised that it's quite a different movie .
George Orwell speaks of the dangers of totalitarian governments and political correctness forced to the masses . The movie Equilibrium was such an example and although Battle Royale may seems like it has no relevence to Orwell's 1984 , it still depicts the destruction of a group of people under hands of a regime hell bent on forcing their political correctness . The first deaths already occured even before the commencement of Battle Royale when the character Nobu tried to rebel against Kitano sensei only to have to be blown off by the necklace stuck on his neck . And sensitive , discerning viewers will watch in horror as the students run around the battlefield like mices in lab experiments , killing each other in various de-humanizing ways , often against their whims . To add more surreal feeling to the movie , you should watch how the training video girl explains the rules of Battle Royale with such childish enthusiasm , and the way sensei Kitano announces the casualties of Battle Royale in casual , and at times cheeky manner .
Battle Royale , as I said , is a mockery to Survivor , where we often see reality show contestants lie , cheat , and deceive their way into victory . In this movie , reality show is a minefield where fiddling around could mean instant death . One striking example is the lighthouse scene where a normal meal with comrades becomes a bloodbath because a girl ate a meal that was supposed to poison Nanahara . Distrust and emnity from beginning exploded into a grudge fury , and you don't need to guess what happens next .
Overall , it is one of the best movies I've ever watch , with all-around decent acting by cast , grippling , yet consistent narrative , and a great soundtrack . The use of classical music complimented with occational pop and rock is great , although my only gripe is the use of Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem not dramatic enough .
P / S : For fans curious of Battle Royale II ( a.k.a Requiem ) , it isn't the a Battle Royale at all , instead a Japanese Saving Private Ryan ( with even an Omaha Beach re-depiction scene ! ) film where a bunch of students are forced to an island to annilate the terrorist leader Nanahara , a survivor of Battle Royale who waged war against all adults .
031 4 ' Battle Royale ' is one of those movies that you watch and have trouble forming an opinion on . The story has a group of unruly Japanese schoolchildren sent to a deserted island where they are instructed to kill each other ( the survivor being the champion and the only one able to escape the island ) or be killed in the Battle Royale scheme , an aim by the government to cut down on teenage violence . Of course , there's a central irony here as well as a certain degree of satire on extremist measures to an extreme problem and on the generation gap . Unusually though it's such satire that bogs the movie down . As a simple horror / action story this is gripping , entertaining stuff , but when it's taking itself seriously the movie's limitations become all too apparent . For example , the sympathy is firmly ladled on the innocent children , giving no outside perspective whatsoever and handing out small inner narratives that are too short to really emote .
The violence is at first shocking , and certainly effective at getting its point across , although rather than setting this up as satire the filmmakers should just admit that this is really an excuse to try and make the audience react more strongly to the heavily stylised violence . Perhaps it isn't fair to highlight this fact to such an extent , although it is true that is the film's only really big disappointment . Apart from some bad characterisation of the supporting players where it is never really explained why some people kill and others choose not to , this is a very good movie indeed . The main characters are very good indeed , and it would have been a wise choice to focuse exclusively on these as they are actually drawn out very well . There's also a good bit of humour here , something that works surprisingly well in juxtaposition to so much blood . For instance , there is the jovial tone of the TV presenter as she exlains to the schoolchildren about weaponry and slaughter , as well as a group of terminally happy popular girls that are ultimately self-destructive .
Basically this is a movie of mixed parts - whilst some characters are highly interesting , others are far too dull , and if the beginning is shocking , the ending is uninspired . I know people who think this is an immensely original movie , although personally it reminded me too much of the flawed but superior ' Series 7 : The Contenders ' . However , ' Battle Royale ' is further proof that the intertanational market can more than hold its own alongside its bigger Hollywood competitors .
032 4 Really a brillant film , but not really a suprise being based on a spectacular novel . Okay , it's more violent then your typical film , it's also very entertaining and enlightening . But more then anything Battle Royale is a very serious social commentary . And it really has nothing to do with the fall of respect and order in social structure like some may think . The most important key in the film is survival and trust . These students are put in this extreme situation and each person reacts and adjust in a very different manner . The novel and the film are in fact a social commentary on how our instinct will overcome every emotion when backed into a far enough corner . Some of the scenes in the movie were just too perfect in depicting such a human trait . I was really impressed with some of the things that happened in the movie .
Overall the acting is above average , nothing special , but then again good acting . The direction of the film was great along with the great adaption to script . I was a little disappointed with the ending , but it doesn't take away from the root of the film . Already this film is being duplicated into other films . Even Quentin Tarantino has stated that his feature Kill Bill has alot of influence from Battle Royale . Surely to be classic in the coming years .
At the time of this review , Battle Royale does not have a US studio version of the film on dvd . If you do buy this , be sure to get the double disc director's cut edition . Unless you can speak fluent japenese , seeing as how many editions out there have terrible subtitling or sometimes none at all .
035 4 This is a great , great movie .
There are lots of things that cinema can do , if it chooses . It can tell a good story ( this movie does ) ; it can develop cool , memorable characters ( this movie does ) ; it can explore themes and different ways of looking at life ( this movie does ) ; it can provoke a strong response , of love , fear , disgust , or anything else ( this movie provokes several ) .
On almost every level , this movie challenges and entertains the viewer at the same time . We don't * need * to ask whether the island stands for greater society ( or if we essentially teach our children to go out and butcher their friends , to compete ) , or anything vaguely academic like that , but we can - - the movie supports it . Or , we can just munch on popcorn , rock with the explosive action , shudder at the most horrifying / fascinating sequences , and wait to see who manages to come out of Thunderdome Isle .
If you're just looking for a thrilling shocker , or a film with some depth to it , Battle Royale stands ready to please .
040 4 Battle Royale become a cult favorite in many corners of the world . Fukasaku wanted this movie to be viewed by all ages , but putting its gory depictions of death and blood into consideration the ratings would not allow it . The film has provoked outrage , and I think this was the intent . Children are viewed as being innocent , yet here , we see them killing each other in gruesome ways , with or without remorse . Being that I only seen this twice but on my third watch it still gets me .
As good as this is there are plot holes to it , especially near the ending . Some of the dialogue is too melodramatic and cheesy , but it did most certainly not bring down the film's brilliance . But what it was missing most of all was character development . There's some fine acting , and some bad acting , but the main characters all acted well and held up this film . Shuya Nanahara ( Tatsuya Fujiwara ) , Noriko Nakagawa ( Aki Maeda ) and Shougo Kawada ( Taro Yamamoto ) are actually given a back story , motivations , and their desires for surviving the Battle Royale . But the other 39 students are not complete strangers to the viewer . Supporting character Mitsuko Souma ( Kou Shibasaki ) is given an in depth biography of who she really is , rather than just a cunning huntress out for revenge . In the Special Edition DVD , there is an extra scene containing a flashback to her childhood , depicting of how horrible her childhood was , and what caused her to act the way she acted in the movie and the novel . The other cast members did a superb job on bringing their characters to life . Indeed the characters are such familiar types that we are able to learn a great deal about them , though we may only see them for five seconds , because we have all come across them before in our own lives . There are the popular girls , the outcasts , bullies , jocks , the nerd who had more gel in his hair than The Fonz , and that one promiscuous girl that your mother told you to stay away from . This quick characterization works perfectly in the film and is enhanced by the performances of the young actors and actresses who actually look and behave like a real class .
I believe the initial intent of this film was to be a satire , possibly on the way in which Japanese culture views children and authority , but having no experience of the Japanese culture , I cannot do more than speculate . The extreme situation brings out the characters , and with forty of the children on the island , there is a lot to take in with their own story , or at least a strong personality . However , despite its faults , Battle Royale is an insight into humanity , and its darker side . We question whether we could kill our friends , but this film does make you wonder what would happen if you were in such a situation . Battle Royale is often misunderstood and it isn't mindlessly violent , but provocatively violent . The fact that children are those involved adds to the weight of them film tremendously . One to watch if your interested .
041 4 This movie is every bit deserving of the 5 stars . very well made with a good message if you look deep into . Rather than promoting child violence , you leave this movie with the feeling of how awful it is . The way things are portrayed in this movie show how awful violence can be . Wonderfully made with an excellent story .
043 4 I am a huge fan of the book , but this movie is only mildly entertaining in comparison . It is good for what the director was aiming for-to adapt it to movie screenplay as a thriller . However , the movie leaves out almost all of the crucial character background stories and key character details , as well as many deep themes . This movie turned a groundbreaking piece of literature into a gorefest , but if you watch it just to enjoy it , without obsessing over accuracy , it is still , in itself , a good movie .
044 4 I bought this DVD based on Amazon reviews , and it didn't disappoint . Unlike Series 7 , which had nothing more than a concept , Battle Royale is an excellent movie on all fronts - plot , acting , script , cinematography , music-score . My only gripe was that some characters took a LOT of bullets before they finally died , can't help feeling this was a trifle unrealistic .
This movie is well worth buying , you can watch it over and over .
BUT I think the version I got had some scenes cut out ! What is the basketball scene that you are all talking about ? The only time I saw a basketball player was when Mimura's Za Saado Man program is released . And as for Kitano's obsession with Noriko , I only saw the ice-cream eating dream sequence and the rain-visit scene - was there more ?
045 4 But how does the movie hold up as just entertainment ? Pretty well , I've seen the movie at least 5 times and each time i like it a little bit more . The movie deals with very violent themes friends turning on each other with very violent results . Storywise the movie drags sometimes lingering too much on certain scenes , such as the basketball game or the teachers infatuation with one of his students . There is a good amount of character development , also there is a particularly deliciously evil creation , i'm talking about Mitsuko one of the most twisted villians i've seen in quite a long time , a wicked girl willing to do anything to survive . One thing that annoyed me is the fact that some people refuse to die after being shot a lot of times i mean come on , if they aren't going to die don't write in the script that they get shot 20 times . Overall an entertaing but very violent movie . Just keep the remote nearby due to some repetitive schmaltziness . EP
046 4 I saw this film after having it reccomended to me by my friend . And Seeing The Lovely Chiaki Kuriyama in Kill bill vol .1 I was interested to see her in another role . Her Role as Chigusa while small is very well acted . And over all the acting in the whole movie is very impressive . And the shocking subject matter is handled very well . So If you can manage to get a copy of this I highly reccommend you watch it . Its a very good movie . The thing i found amazing about this movie was that they still manage to make you care for these charcters after only a little charcter developement . I just hope one day this movie gets released in north america on dvd . but please no dub . . .
047 4 I just got this video from Japan town in San Francisco ( I had a chance to watch the part of this film in my Japanese class and was really interested . . )
this is an awesome film for all those who loves some kind of horror and mystery movies .
This is about the students in a class ( Japan ) were put into the island to kill each other in 3 days and only one survival can get out of the island .
Nanahara and Noriko , who were eventually fell in love kept their promise to protect each other in that horrible situation .
Who would be the last one to survive ? ? ? Why don't you find out ?
048 4 If you are looking at this web page right now , then you need to buy this movie immediately .
It is a masterpiece in every way . If you are tennative because of the film's reputation for violence , have no fear . This film is , in fact , not particularly violent , much less than Kill Bill or Seven . The only difference is that the protagonists are teenagers instead of adults , which is the reason this film was temporarily banned .
Nominated for the Japanse Academy Award for Best Picture , Battle Royal is both an insightful take on groupthink and hegemony in the world today , and a gripping suspense / drama that is thoroughly entertaining and completely satisfying .
049 4 This movie is very gory . The action sequences mix John Woo shoot outs with George Romero gore . The best visual from the entire movie is at the beginning , when it shows last years winner , covered in blood , clutching a teddybear and smilling psychotically .
This movie takes place in an alternate pesent . Students have become disorderly and the government has taken to sending a class out each year to kill one another . The have collars that explode if no one is killed within a certain time period .
Although the movie satisfied that sick part of me that enjoys violence and death in movies , the plot was rushed and had some holes in it . The charecters were not developed enough either . All of which is corrected if you read the novel that the movie is based on . It is much better ( as books always are ) . You will actually understand what drives certian characters to their behaviors . Watch the movie , if you enjoy it or want to understand it more fully read the book as well .
050 4 Anyone remember the ' Breakfast Club ? '
A tale about a bunch of high schoolers from different cliques thrown together for a saturday afternoon detention . You had the jock , the prom queen , the nerd / geek , the criminal burnout , and the kid that doesn't fit in anywhere . They all pretty much hate one another but not as much as they hate adults who , surprise , surprise , hate them right back ! They have to write a 1000 word essay that justifies their existence . By the end of the movie they've all changed and grown somehow and see each other differently .
Well in ' Battle Royale ' take the same premise and instead of having to write an essay the principal tells them that they have to kill each other . . . or die ! !
This movie rocks ! I mean it goes for throat and never let's go . I hope that this movie gets the American treatment ( ala ' The Ring ' ) because in the hands of the right director it could be an awesome movie ! Unfortunately the Columbine tragedy ( life is more tragic than fiction ) will probably ensure that it never happens .
051 4 The first few minutes into the film you are seriously going to wonder what ever compelled you to give this flick a chance , but after watching it from beggining to end , it becomes apparent what a great film this is . It is impossible for anyone to sit through it and not get anything out of it .
It is a bit violent ( VERY violent ) but if you were able to sit through Kill Bill without glancing away from the screen , you can definately handle this film . I recommend it to anyone that has the stomach for it .
052 4 Before actually watching this film I was expecting a pure bloodbath because I heard that this film was banned from being released in America . I was curiou because I thought that it was funny that a film would not be released in America because of i being violent . America being the home of the violent movie . After seeing the film I think that I know why the film was banned : the violence students show to each other and their teachers and the violence the teacher show towards their students .
However , I should note that the violence is quite cartoony , and the outlandishness of it can be quite humerous . Think of Kill Bill .
The story itself is quite simple : Japan's over a decade long recession has reached its apex , and something like 15% of the population is unemployed . Theft and violent crimes are on the rise , especially among school kids . To help clean up society the government has instituted the Battle Royale Bill which is used to select certain problem classes and have the students fight to the death . And my how do they fight .
Battle Royale is a fascinating film with great acting by Kitano Takeshi . The acting of the younger actors and actresses vary in skill level , but they still do a good job : especially Masanobu Ando and Chiaki Kuriyama .
054 4 Battle Royal remains unreleased in the West not because of its controversy but because of distribution problems that the production company Toei is mixed up with . There are several other Toei films that have not made it to the West either and this has something do with distribution sharing rights that are still problematic even in their own country . So the reason for the non-appearance of this great movie is not because it has been banned or refused-classification , but because of money and distribution rights .
The film is a violent spin on Lord of the Flies . It is knee-deep in right wing political philosophy that certainly will reverberate in a world still reeling from the effects of terrorist related violence .
Battle Royale is set in the future but seems closer to the present . Because of school truancy and violent assaults on teachers the Japanese government has passed the Battle Royale act which allows them to randomly select classes to be sent off to boot camp where there are given the task of murdering one another in a training island until one of them is left and allowed to go free . Each of the students is given a bag which contains supplies and a type of weapon . Detonators are attached around their necks should they try to escape or break the rules . There are also hot zones around the island that will automatically cause a head buster if they step into them .
This film is a complete satire on political institutions from start to finish and is certainly very graphic , but is still a lot of fun . The story and characters do develop even among all this last man standing mayhem and there are plenty of twists . In fact this is a memorable and fun film even though a little controversial but I think it is hard to take this film too seriously because it does a lot of comic interludes along way and even the death scenes are played out for laughs - although albeit very violently .
This is a slice of sci-fi classic that does have a few morals to boot . It is a great cinematic experience in a live-action Manga sort of way and if you can stomach the violence you will enjoy it immensely .
Unforgettable .
055 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale [ Region 3 ] ( DVD )
I'll start by saying that my appreciation for japanese cinema is limited . This is due to my own lack of patience , not acceptence of its intrinisic differences from American cinema . I like Kurosawa , have seen them all but I wouldn't likely watch them again . I like anime but wouldn't go out of my way to watch it ( although the current Teen Titans cartoon is very anime style and I'm finding that I do like it ) . The japanese monster movies were good when I was a kid . But that's about it for my appreciation of japanese cinema . If you're a snob about it , well , sorry but it is my review .
I bought Battle Royale on a self-dare . . . I challenged someone online to find me a movie that I would love that was shocking and relevent . He told me to get Battle Royale .
Again . . . what a remarkable movie . Its accessible easily by western aesthetics and sensibilities , but at the same time , it is sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat good . If you are looking for an easy movie to watch , look further . This isn't easy but its very worthwhile and it is one I will not only revisit , but whose novel ( on which the movie is based ) has already been ordered .
056 4 I'll start by saying that my appreciation for japanese cinema is limited . This is due to my own lack of patience , not acceptence of its intrinisic differences from American cinema . I like Kurosawa , have seen them all but I wouldn't likely watch them again . I like anime but wouldn't go out of my way to watch it ( although the current Teen Titans cartoon is very anime style and I'm finding that I do like it ) . The japanese monster movies were good when I was a kid . But that's about it for my appreciation of japanese cinema . If you're a snob about it , well , sorry but it is my review .
I bought Battle Royale on a self-dare . . . I challenged someone online to find me a movie that I would love that was shocking and relevent . He told me to get Battle Royale .
Again . . . what a remarkable movie . Its accessible easily by western aesthetics and sensibilities , but at the same time , it is sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat good . If you are looking for an easy movie to watch , look further . This isn't easy but its very worthwhile and it is one I will not only revisit , but whose novel ( on which the movie is based ) has already been ordered .
057 4 This is a great movie . it's most likely my favorite . it is not exactly like the book but the director did a great job adapting the text into the film . it is definitely a must have if you are a fan of japanese movies .
059 4 Now before I get started I want to let you all know thatn I'm a major fan of Battle Royale . I've both read the book ( I read the novel first ) and seen the movie . The book was excellent in both plot , development , action , suspense , and surprises galore . BR is my absolute fave book of all time , hands down .
Now on to the movie . The BR movie had a lot of discrepencies that made me stare into the cathode ray tube of my TV and scream WTF ? ! the dream that Noriko has in the movie was a major WTF moment . Then Kitano's painting of all the dead students with Noriko standing in the center of it with a golden halo of light . ( ? ) Kazou Kiriyama and Shogo Kawada's being chosen to liven up the game was totally off . The timeline was skewed a bit too .
The big thing that got to me was that the movie was hailed as being extremely violent or even disturbing . I didn't really find anything disturbing about this movie . Yes the idea that a group of students that have known each other for a long time being forced to kill each other may disturb some people but the movie wasn't nearly as disturbing as the book . Even the manga version of Battle Royale was more violent than the movie .
My verdict : If you have not yet read the novel or the manga series spun off by the novel then go ahead and watch it . The movie isn't bad , but I would have preferred more blood and gore compared to what was added in the movie . I mean , there was barely any blood spatter at all in the special effects . Someone get's shot , like , 20 times and all it does is kick up a little dust while some red dye is added to the shot character's shirt . Any blood sprays , spatters , gun shots , etc . was added in by computer . It's so easy to tell that someone I knew who had no special effects experience at all could tell that it was incredibly fake .
If you really want to get into the world of BR I recommend reading the novel first . If you want to read the manga series afterwards then be warned that some of it is a bit more over the top compared to the novel's rigid hold to reality . Still , BR in any one of it's forms is an excellent survival series . Don't miss it .
060 4 Previously to viewing a copy of BR , I read the raving reviews from the other amazon customers . . and you know what ? I strongly agree with their 5 star ratings .
this movie doesn't pull any punches when it comes to violence , but at the same time it's also a social commentary regarding violence within today's high schools , ( especially in america ) and the bad bridge between the generation gap .
beat takashi ( brother ) does a great portrayal as the sadistic teacher / controller KITARO . BR has influences from previous american flicks like the running man , lord of the flies , escape from new york and fortress ( the necklace bomb wedlock )
what's disturbing is watching those cute japanese kids get slaughtered in so many ways ( shootings , hackings , slashings , poison etc . ) that it almost resembles a virtual videogame .
the ending i felt was anti climatic , but the flashback sequences adds much depth to the characters . too bad most americans will NEVER get to see this DVD Gem because of the contriversial content , but if ever there was a us adaptation like THE RING , director paul verhooven ( robocop , starship troopers ) would be my first choice and / or maybe quinten tarantino just as long as he doesn't make a cameo appearance like he did in his previous movies .
BATTLE ROYAL ; one of the best movies made in japan .
061 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
This film transcends the exploitative horror genre by truly focusing on the characters . Every person has believable motivation and a sympathy inducing background that serves to fully suck the viewer into the events unfolding . It is not for the weak of stomach , even fans of horror should be warned . . . this film will draw you in so that it may deliver an antiviolent message by using shocking techniques to hone in on its point .
A cult classic .
Put this film at the top of your must-see list .
062 4 This film transcends the exploitative horror genre by truly focusing on the characters . Every person has believable motivation and a sympathy inducing background that serves to fully suck the viewer into the events unfolding . It is not for the weak of stomach , even fans of horror should be warned . . . this film will draw you in so that it may deliver an antiviolent message by using shocking techniques to hone in on its point .
A cult classic .
Put this film at the top of your must-see list .
065 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
I had seen this movie before at my one friends house and didn't really get a chance to pay attention to it , so i decided to buy it . I was suprised greatly at how great this movie really was . It was just remarkably scripted and the acting was extremely good , even when it was going over the top with it's dark humor ( Like the cookies ) and the out of this world violence . Really the only things I don't like about this movie is that it is drawn out in some places and the subtitles , not so much that it has them more like you have to be a speed reader to read it . The dvd itself arrived in great condition worked on three different dvd players . All in all it was a great movie and well worth what I paid for it . I recomend it to anyone who isn't faint of heart , enjoys a good story , and has a sick sense of humor .
066 4 I had seen this movie before at my one friends house and didn't really get a chance to pay attention to it , so i decided to buy it . I was suprised greatly at how great this movie really was . It was just remarkably scripted and the acting was extremely good , even when it was going over the top with it's dark humor ( Like the cookies ) and the out of this world violence . Really the only things I don't like about this movie is that it is drawn out in some places and the subtitles , not so much that it has them more like you have to be a speed reader to read it . The dvd itself arrived in great condition worked on three different dvd players . All in all it was a great movie and well worth what I paid for it . I recomend it to anyone who isn't faint of heart , enjoys a good story , and has a sick sense of humor .
069 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
This is a sad story , classmates forced to fight each other to the death . Sure you might wish death on some of your classmates , but here we see classmates succumb to paranoia and full on survival instinct . A boy totally enamored by a fellow classmate and on the verge of raping her in this end of the world scenario is stabbed in the groin repeatedly by the dream that turns into a nightmare . A boy seeking out the girl of his dreams is killed by his dream . violence is the god of this movie , and to see friends kill each other is the libation for this new religion . This is definately not a movie to be missed .
071 4 The Bottom Line :
Far superior to The Condemned , the American quasi-remake / rip-off , Battle Royale takes the inherently-compelling premise of a group of people stuck in a isolated place forced to fight to the death and milks it for all its worth ; if you're the type of person who finds that plot description appealing ( you know who you are ! ) then rent or buy this very interesting film .
072 4 Junior High School students brutally murdering each other for the sake of their own survival . . . What more can be said . Blood , gore , suspense , passion , fear . So many emotions that are so well portrayed . That's what made me enjoy this movie so much . The way it's done helps you to get inside the head of most of the students and actually start to think they way they do . It was really cool .
This version of the DVD was great . There were a ton of special features , and it wasn't most of the lame stuff you get with the average DVD . A lot of it was pretty interesting .
074 4 While I wasn't bugged at all about this some may not like that its a subtitled movie . With that said , this movie is a PURE BLOOD BATH ! If your against violent movies don't get this one ! I personally loved it ! It wasn't just about people killing people , it was about friends forced to kill each other or die anyways One of the issues of the movie is it shows that its a bit dated now . The blood was fake looking , and some of the lines a bit funny ( though that could be due to translation also ) . Over all in a movie dealing with kids killing other kids ( I never thought I'd say this ) it made me laugh . It made me laugh due to some of the corny lines and not the act itself . Over all I'd say rent it first then decide if you like it enough to buy it . . we all have different thoughts and onions on movies , how ever it was worth it to add this to my collection .
075 4 How can you not love a movie that links the battles to the death on the island to the relationships between the students in high school ? Haven't read the novel , but I've read the manga series which hews very closely to the novel and goes into mind-numbing detail about the backstories ; what the movie lacks in detail , it captures in broad but effective strokes .
077 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
This is a film with an extraordinarily flimsy and unrealistic premise . It violates its own rules and internal logic . It is , essentially , a great big snuff-film .
And I really liked it .
There's not a lot you can say about this film , really . 42 middle school kids , most of them played by actors who either actually are , or at least look close to , the ages of the characters are hauled out to an island and told to kill each other until only one is left . This is either a reality TV show or government pogrom , or possibly both . Either way , it's an absurd premise .
But it works . The acting is very good , and the characters are interesting ( plus I really had a thing for Shuya ) . There's also quite a bit of blood and gore all over the place . Surprisingly , however , there's not as much as you might think . Mostly the shock of it comes not from the quanitity but from the fact that it's 14 - 16 year olds doing the deeds .
Ultimately this is a film worth getting . I bought the director's cut from Amazon and I'm quite pleased with it . Even the extras are well done . I would like it if the film got a North American distributor , but that's not likely . So order this version and enjoy .
As a side note , I hear there's an American version of the film in the works . Anyone wanna take bets on how badly they'll screw it up ? Either we'll have the characters all aged up to college , or at least high school , and likely if they do keep them young , we'll have them played by older actors . Plus you can expect even less realistic violence . But we shall see .
Meantime , buy and enjoy this version of a quality film .
078 4 This is a film with an extraordinarily flimsy and unrealistic premise . It violates its own rules and internal logic . It is , essentially , a great big snuff-film .
And I really liked it .
There's not a lot you can say about this film , really . 42 middle school kids , most of them played by actors who either actually are , or at least look close to , the ages of the characters are hauled out to an island and told to kill each other until only one is left . This is either a reality TV show or government pogrom , or possibly both . Either way , it's an absurd premise .
But it works . The acting is very good , and the characters are interesting ( plus I really had a thing for Shuya ) . There's also quite a bit of blood and gore all over the place . Surprisingly , however , there's not as much as you might think . Mostly the shock of it comes not from the quanitity but from the fact that it's 14 - 16 year olds doing the deeds .
Ultimately this is a film worth getting . I bought the director's cut from Amazon and I'm quite pleased with it . Even the extras are well done . I would like it if the film got a North American distributor , but that's not likely . So order this version and enjoy .
As a side note , I hear there's an American version of the film in the works . Anyone wanna take bets on how badly they'll screw it up ? Either we'll have the characters all aged up to college , or at least high school , and likely if they do keep them young , we'll have them played by older actors . Plus you can expect even less realistic violence . But we shall see .
Meantime , buy and enjoy this version of a quality film .
079 4 an above average movie with a rather creative story but and decent acting , the dialouge is nothing to marvel at but it isn't unbearable , it seems have a decent lesson to be learned and accuratley depicts in my opinion what would really happen in a time of desperation some would go crazy some would turn to there lovers some would admit secrets never told before and some would reflect . I didn't love the ending , could easily have been refined . overall : 4 stars
082 4 the movie was great
makes you think
cannot wait to see the second one
083 4 This is a fantastically disturbing film but do yourself a favor , read the book first , the movie is great , the book is absolutely brilliant , so much more depth I garauntee that anyone who reads the book first will enjoy the movie on a whole different level . . .
you can thank me later . . .
084 4 Kitano is cool as ever . The concept of forcing children to murder eachother in order to become good adult citizens ; can anyone but the japanese come up with that ?
The film is great . The kids don't play by the rules . The different groups make their own game inside the big game . Dialoge is typical japanese and the acting is great . Since we have seen plenty of kids going postal in real life this movie show us how truly evil kids are .
A film for those who like to push the visual limits of a movie and not for any Arnie-fans !
085 4 Recently i hired out a copy of Battle Royal on dvd and considering that it was the first film i have fully watched with subtitles i was extremely surprised . I am a media student and havr a keen interest in all films and i have to say that i havent seen such a good film for years / i am a keen fan of films that came out of the eighties and only a few modern films have been able to reach the calibar of this genre . Flms such as The Matrix & Fight Club gave me hope that there was still auteurs out there that had the vision of a good film and not just the money involved or the publisity that came along with it but genuienly had good ideas and gambled with this to pruduce films that are at least to say out standing . BR is the lateset film that has the taste of Kubrick and the keen control of lynch and manges to pull off the greatest film of the century through its characterization and origanal plot .
086 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
Let me be blunt : this is not considered an intellectual film . Nonetheless , this is one of the most riveting films I have seen in ages . As you know , this film has been banned in multiple countries and is not well-appreciated in its own . It breaks some pretty serious taboos . . . namely , young fresh-faced children hacking each other to bits : ) Of course , the idea that the government has locked exploding collars around their tender necks is a horrific bonus ! !
Takeshi Kitano is FANTASTIC as the school teacher with an innocent yet disturbing crush on one of his pupils and an obsession with her baked goods ( Ohhh , and wait until you see his painting ! ! )
Likewise , the characters of Shuya and Noriko are spectacular in their roles . They bring likability to what should be an unlikeable film . Nonetheless , Kazuo Kiriyama and Mitsuko Souma easily steal the show ! Kazuo volunteers to be in this massacre ( apparently for the thrill ) ! ! He has the looks of Johnny Depp matched with the endurance of Jason Vorhees ( forgive the comparison ! ! ) Meanwhile , Mitsuko presents us with the most complex character in the film : as a victim of ( potential ) sexual abuse and an uncaring mother , Mitsuko has learned not to trust anyone . Moreover , she has learned to use her sexuality to get through life ( it's interesting to see how this aspect figures into combat ) .
What may surprise you is how FUNNY ( intentionally ) this film is ! ! ! The training video alone will have you in stitches ( The adorable host makes exploding heads sound like a Saturday morning cartoon BOOM ! ) ! ! TRUST ME - FUNNY STUFF ! ! !
To be perfectly honest , I dread the American remake ( slated for 2008 by NEW LINE ) . Part of the appeal is that this film is verboten ! ! NEW LINE , I am quite certain , will be content will an R rating for theaters . . . and that will be a shame . Additionally , the Japanese version has insanely BAD and AWKWARD translation which only heightens its amusing qualities .
No , Battle Royale doesn't have the INSANE gore of Ichi the Killer , but it is faster-paced , has a simpler story-line , and in a way , is more shocking .
You'll either love it or hate it . . . me , I LOVE IT ! ! ! I show it to my students EVERY semester ! ! !
This film receives FIVE stars for its innovative , no-holds-barred approach ! !
Suggested Reading : Williams , Tony . Case Study : Battle Royale's Apocalyptic Millennial Warning . Japanese Horror Cinema . Ed . Jay McRoy . Honolulu : U Hawaii P , 2005 . 130 - 143 .
087 4 Let me be blunt : this is not considered an intellectual film . Nonetheless , this is one of the most riveting films I have seen in ages . As you know , this film has been banned in multiple countries and is not well-appreciated in its own . It breaks some pretty serious taboos . . . namely , young fresh-faced children hacking each other to bits : ) Of course , the idea that the government has locked exploding collars around their tender necks is a horrific bonus ! !
Takeshi Kitano is FANTASTIC as the school teacher with an innocent yet disturbing crush on one of his pupils and an obsession with her baked goods ( Ohhh , and wait until you see his painting ! ! )
Likewise , the characters of Shuya and Noriko are spectacular in their roles . They bring likability to what should be an unlikeable film . Nonetheless , Kazuo Kiriyama and Mitsuko Souma easily steal the show ! Kazuo volunteers to be in this massacre ( apparently for the thrill ) ! ! He has the looks of Johnny Depp matched with the endurance of Jason Vorhees ( forgive the comparison ! ! ) Meanwhile , Mitsuko presents us with the most complex character in the film : as a victim of ( potential ) sexual abuse and an uncaring mother , Mitsuko has learned not to trust anyone . Moreover , she has learned to use her sexuality to get through life ( it's interesting to see how this aspect figures into combat ) .
What may surprise you is how FUNNY ( intentionally ) this film is ! ! ! The training video alone will have you in stitches ( The adorable host makes exploding heads sound like a Saturday morning cartoon BOOM ! ) ! ! TRUST ME - FUNNY STUFF ! ! !
To be perfectly honest , I dread the American remake ( slated for 2008 by NEW LINE ) . Part of the appeal is that this film is verboten ! ! NEW LINE , I am quite certain , will be content will an R rating for theaters . . . and that will be a shame . Additionally , the Japanese version has insanely BAD and AWKWARD translation which only heightens its amusing qualities .
No , Battle Royale doesn't have the INSANE gore of Ichi the Killer , but it is faster-paced , has a simpler story-line , and in a way , is more shocking .
You'll either love it or hate it . . . me , I LOVE IT ! ! ! I show it to my students EVERY semester ! ! !
This film receives FIVE stars for its innovative , no-holds-barred approach ! !
Suggested Reading : Williams , Tony . Case Study : Battle Royale's Apocalyptic Millennial Warning . Japanese Horror Cinema . Ed . Jay McRoy . Honolulu : U Hawaii P , 2005 . 130 - 143 .
088 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
In the near future , high school students are protesting against the school system as the adults begin to worry , thus creating a special program called The Battle Royale Program in which students who are selected at random to an island where they are armed with weapons as they must be seperated to hunt & kill each other one by one until one will remain to become the winner .
One of the most controversial movies in recent memory , this wild and ultraviolent Japanese Sci-fi action thriller is inspired by the same infamous novel from it's own country and has shattered Japanese box-office records . It also stirred up some trouble over there on the film's subject matter and on the Japanese politics , the story is a very intriguing futuristic flick with ideas , violence and gore to keep the viewer entertained with some social and political issues .
This DVD has terrific picture and sound quality with Japanese audio with English subtitles ! There's some quality extras like the trailers , Press Conference on the movie , Special Effects Comparision featurette , Rehearsal footage , TV Spots , behind the scenes footage and more . This movie is a powerful , unique and disturbing epic beyond anything you've ever seen before ! this movie must be seen to believed .
089 4 In the near future , high school students are protesting against the school system as the adults begin to worry , thus creating a special program called The Battle Royale Program in which students who are selected at random to an island where they are armed with weapons as they must be seperated to hunt & kill each other one by one until one will remain to become the winner .
One of the most controversial movies in recent memory , this wild and ultraviolent Japanese Sci-fi action thriller is inspired by the same infamous novel from it's own country and has shattered Japanese box-office records . It also stirred up some trouble over there on the film's subject matter and on the Japanese politics , the story is a very intriguing futuristic flick with ideas , violence and gore to keep the viewer entertained with some social and political issues .
This DVD has terrific picture and sound quality with Japanese audio with English subtitles ! There's some quality extras like the trailers , Press Conference on the movie , Special Effects Comparision featurette , Rehearsal footage , TV Spots , behind the scenes footage and more . This movie is a powerful , unique and disturbing epic beyond anything you've ever seen before ! this movie must be seen to believed .
090 4 So many american movies have ripped this off in the last couple of years . None of them had the balls to use kids as this movie does .
its the greatest asian cult action classic .
091 4 My one question is , for those who have a copy of this particular DVD edition being advertised here : is this particular version a multi - , or all-region DVD ? I live in the U.S . , and I'd really like to get THIS version due to all the special features , but obviously I don't wanna get it if it's not even going to play in my DVD player . . . anyone know ? ?
But for those who aren't wound so tightly as to be offended by the risque premise ( a buncha students are kidnapped , taken to an island , and given weapons to kill one another off ) , and HAVEN'T had the privilege of seeing this wickedly entertaining film , you owe yourself to do so . Fans of transgressive art , black comedy , dead baby jokes , Takeshi Miike , Bret Easton Ellis , Palahniuk , and Tarantino will be right at home watching it ( case in point , not only is this one of Tarantino's favorites , its influence on him is evidenced by his casting this film's Chiaki Kuriyama to play Gogo in his own Kill Bill ) . Take it from me though and skip the unengaging sequel . Also recommended : Series 7 : The Contenders .
092 4 Japan's economy has fallen . Students are boycotting school . Unemployment rate is at 15% . What does the government decide to do ? Pass the Battle Royale Act .
Abnormal plot for a movie you're thinking . It is , but still a great movie . The BR ( battle royale ) act is simple.you gotta kill all your classmates till only one lives.you are given a bag of food , water , and a random weapon . some ppl get lucky and get a gun , and some get a potlid . lol
A random class is chosen for this act each yr . this yrs is just anotehr class . but every character has a simple background that is built as long as they live .
everyone is different with their ideas . some want to stop this act of horror with peace . others just accept what they have to do . but in the end , love is everyones strongest motivation.you wont be disappointed by this movie . but remember suspension of reality !
093 4 this movie i have , it is literally the best movie to come from Japan . it is just about a distant future of Japan with the unemployment rate at 15% and students refusing school . in this the parents are afraid of their own children and to remain control , the government creates the Millenium Education Reform Act V , also called Battle Royale this movie has some really realistic death sequences and an exteremely interesting plot , no other movie cancome close to its magnificence . But like everything else in this world , it is aimed at a certain audience , the people who like this movie also like movies like Kill Bill , and other extremely graphic martial arts style movies . so in short , if you like movies with alot of action and plot you'll certainly love this movie like i do , the sequel is almost out on dvd as well but only for region 3 dvd players .
094 4 How do you combat growing juvenille delinquency in a society with a bleak future , double-digit unemployment , and a loss of belief in the traditional codes of honor ? Why , you gather up a random class of 7th graders and send them off to a deserted island to survive . . .
. . . only the dangers present aren't akin to eating bugs or getting voted off the show . No , each student is equipped with a duffel bag with some sort of weapon and a explosive-filled collar set to go off after three days unless the mission is accomplished : the death of all but one of the students .
Petty differences and puppy loves are suddenly amplified into matters of life and death as students either bond together in the hopeless struggle to survive or turn predator and exercise their worst grudges on their former friends and classmates . The film is a kind of Lord of the Flies taken to logical extremes , and the carnage that ensues is enough to disturb even a hardened action and horror film fan like myself .
The film is worth a watch and definitely carries a message ; the extreme violence in its own perverse way is a statement against killing . I enjoyed this film at a late-nite Japanese film festival , and I think many of you will like it as well if you give it a chance .
095 4 I thought the movie was awesome but I do recommend that you read the book first . The characters may seem a bit juvenile and naive , even dispicable ( i.e . Kazuo ) but you'll understand better because the book goes into very descriptive details about each student . The movie moved along much quicker than I expected and I guess for the sake of cinema they extracted only a few dramatic scenes from the storyline . The one thing I have to point out is that the book dehumanized the adults but the movie made me sypathize with them a bit more . Watch it you'll like it !
097 4 I've always loved this movie but have never seen it on anything other than poor quality streaming internet video . This DVD is fantastic . I finally get to see what all of my favorite characters look like and all the special features are great . I didn't expect that many features , because I honestly thought this was a bootleg but no it's great quality and full of good special features .
099 4 I won't even try to review this film , since there are so many helpful reviews at the other Battle Royale ( theatrical release ) product information page . I'm only writing this to ask other people who have seen both versions to tell other people where the difference lies . This director's cut is apparently longer , but I can't really say .
100 4 I actually read the book before I saw this movie and I must say that I was terribly dissapointed .
I loved the book because of the social commentary ( defining and striving for individualism in a conforming , constrictive society ) and politcal statements about a society trying to thrive under an opressive government . It was a story that could be applied any government in any country . It's definitely a book you learn from . It examines the essence of the human condition . The movie deleted that entire theme . It instead made up it's own theme which basically boils down to adults vs . children . In the movie , the adults were actually out to destroy kids ( they actually said this ) . This movie took away any poignancy that a story about middle school kids forced to kill each other could have .
Now , moving away from thematic differences , there are also huge plot differences as well . It seems like almost everything was changed . From huge details such as pretty much the entire ending of the movie ( there is a huge random scene at the end that sums up the movie and wasn't present in the book ) and adding a strange relationship with Kitano ( Sakamochi in the book ) and Noriko ( or maybe just a very , very strange obsession ) . Pretty much all the students were given different weapons and many die in very different ways . They are given less time to complete the game as well . In the book they have 3 days and in the movie they have a day ( if I remember correctly ) .
There also isn't as much character development , but that's to be expected when you make a movie out of a book with over 600 pages and 40 + characters , so I can't fault it for that , but in general when that happens , a story becomes more about the action and plot than an overall message . This movie fall victim to that .
The movie isn't all bad , however . It is extremely entertaining and it will definitely be a conversation starter for friends . It's a good movie to watch with all the lights off and a giant bowl of popcorn with a handfull of friends late at night . There won't be any dissapointments ( unless they've read the book already lol ) .
Oh , and I can't speak to the special features on this version because I have a korean box set ( so random , I know ) that comes with BR1 and BR2 ( and don't even get me started on that one . It's even worse ) and a 3rd , special features , disc that I can't watch because it's in Japanese and has only Korean subtitles , two languages I cannot speak at all .
So overall , if you've read the book you probably won't like this movie much at all , but if not , you'll most likely love it . It's action packed with a pretty good message ( albeit a very different one from the book ) .
I definitely suggest reading the book over watching the movie or , if you want to do both , watch the movie first .
101 4 I'm not sure why this movie has been banned in the U.S.A . Maybe our Federal Censors , A.K.A . the Gubment , consider the premise to be controversial , mainly the Government policy of having children fight to the death . I'm not sure how far-fetched this really is ; it's not much different than our Student Loan programs , but enough of my political opinions . . .
THIS MOVIE KICKS A * * ! ! ! The only thing I found annoying was having to read subtitles : They were able to dub English over Godzilla movies ; why not do it here ? Luckily , the dialogue isn't too deep , so if you find yourself simply watching the movie , and stop reading for a while , you can pretty much keep up with the plot . I do suggest you watch this movie with your surround sound system turned on ; the audio portion is much better when loud .
Do yourself a favor : Spend the $20 bucks to make this movie a part of your video library . I'm glad I did .
103 4 An interesting film . Once I was able to accept the outlandish premise as merely hypothetical ( How much more far-fetched can you get ? ) , I became hooked . A very chilling concept , which lends to one of the most intense movies I've ever seen . But whoever compares this film's director to John Woo , simply doesn't know John Woo . Woo is a stylish director , the master of fancy gunplay . Without him , there would be know Matrix , no Max Payne , nor a number of other Woo-inspired monuments to gunplay . ( However , if no Matrix would mean no Matrix 2 or 3 , then perhaps it would all be a worthy sacrifice . )
This film's director seems to have foregone style ( that is if he had the ability , as not all directors are cut out to be action directors ) , but kept the insane gore for which Japanese cinema is known .
Of course , that might be a good thing . The violence is horrifying ; hard to watch at times . Yet , had this film been filled with fast , slick , cool diving and shooting moves , it may have lost what hard-to-find credibility it boasts as it is . And when I say hard-to-find , that is not to degrade the film's quality . Like I said , I had to accept the premise as purely hypothetical . Not many other viewers will show that same willingness .
Overall , I loved the movie . It's definitely worth the effort of seaking out .
( Oh , and if anyone complains about the movie lacking character development , show some consideration . There are 42 of them . )
105 4 Although a bit sadistic , I loved the film . . . it is impossible to find anywhere , i saw it on DivX last year but I can't buy it . Once it comes out you should get it !
106 4 One of the most disturbing films I've seen in a while . It is quite entertaining , but lacks plausibility , which is the only real caveat I have about this film . First , the premise itself is surreal , but I guess that was the point , so that's not really a negative . What really bothered me was the extended 5 - minute death scenes and how it took 100 bullets from an automatic machine gun to kill one person from 10 feet away ( aka the Rambo effect ) . 3 out of 5 stars for content .
107 4 Just as the Korean Version of the ring ( ringu ) and The Grudge were superior films to their Johnny-come-lately English counterparts , Battle Royale is superior to every single American Made film in the most dangerous games motiff .
Trust me , I bought them all ; The most dangerous game , Bloodlust , Hard Target , the Running Man , Game of Death 1 + 2 , Series 7 , Surviving the Game and scores more including the new release of the Condemned , which is the American version of battle ( in my opinion ) .
I am not going to give spoilers , if you have read this far you know damn well what it is about . I am going to say that it is the best subtitled film I own and a top twenty staple in my collection . The characters are lifelike , the action is more raw than any big budget , overproduced American film of the genre because of little nuances such as the fact you can't tell what is going to happen next by the musical cues . And perhaps most importantly , you will never guess who will live through this thing , by now I can usually pick a winner and this film proved me wrong and I love it for beating me at my ( it's ) own game , so to speak .
As most Asian movies it's suggestive as torn lace , but ultimately sexless . Yet the violence which is both premeditated as it is random and horrific make this worth owning . So enjoy this movie of hapless indivuduals thrust into an all or nothing game of survival , but as Letterman used to say . . . Please no wagering !
108 4 Sorry . . didn't work for me . . . I certainly get the point though . This life is nothing if not predictable in its utterly cruel way of recurring behavioral patterns . The key-words nowadays are cool and hip forms of parenting , in a ridiculous attempt to identify with the up-and-coming generations of alienated youths . Boundaries are blurred . Parents abandon their stoic posture and yield to hedonism , refuting egregiously their years of experience . When purposeful regression takes center stage , all hell will break loose . So , when haughty , hormone-driven adolescents see that they have their affection-deprived parents on their knees , a greater sense of already-gargantuan entitlement takes over . And this extends into the every sphere of life , especially in social gatherings , and even more in the classroom , where hiding under the surface of blatant infantile behavior lies intensely insecure thought processes . Anyway , the fabric of school tries to institute a neo-superego , but since the primordial one has been vanquished , why should this one be allowed to prevail ? ? ? It shouldn't , that's why students just don't care , and their parents are too afraid of losing their children completely ( a cataclysmic death of self as well , since children are the redefinition of their rebirth ) and simply don't choose to emphasize the importance of education . The movie tried to take the side of the kids , giving everyone a brief background that tries to be inspiring . . . it vilifies some of them as well so we know who to cheer against ( there is an ineffectual attempt to humanize the girl with the scythe by showing her brush with a potential child molester ) . Now , the solution in this case is pure fascism , and it is a very moronic way of looking at life . The reason we have so many school shootings and whatnot in the US is because the culture causes a spiritual suffocation and death , there is no room for negotiation , there are no shades of gray , so extreme behaviors are adopted to get the point across . Here , it's the same thing , adopting radical dogmas for a much deeper-seeded behavioral issue that derives from the adults ' lack of insight into self and how to raise their kids . . . bah . . . I usually try to stick with the story in my reviews , not focusing on technical aspects . Unfortunately , I must comment , the acting was very poor . . I love to be drawn into the realm of the film , but I simply couldn't because none of it rang true or believable . Anyway , in essence , an unnecessary statement which echoes the dumb way the world perceives its problems , and the primitive way it intends to resolve them .
110 4 This was Kinji Fukusaku's final film before his death , and boy did he go out with a bang . I bought this movie because I was interested in Chiaki Kuriyama , ( GoGo from Kill Bill ) and because all the Japanese kids at school said that this was a classic , and I wasn't disappointed . I don't now why this movie is not being released state-side , because Ichi the Killer is far more violent than this film . Maybe it has something to do with Columbine or someting . This is a modern Japanese classic that helped usher in the Japanese new wave of violent , Tokyo-pop films .
111 4 It's ok , but the book is infinitely better . I was really expecting a lot more after reading the book and reading the other glowing reviews . I guess there was no choice about using very young actors considering the plot , but with the exception of Noriko , Takako , Shuya , Shogo and of course Kitano , the rest of the acting was pretty bush-league . If you like reading , skip the movie and just read the book . So much more than what you see on screen is contained between those magical pages .
112 4 This review is from :
Battle Royale : Director's Cut ( Collector's Edition ) ( DVD )
I watch alot of movies , and I have watched quite a few Japanese movies . . . I'm not sure why so many people rate this movie highly , except that it has an audacious premise ( a highschool class forced to fight to the death ) . First , the premise of the Battle Royale is given cursory attention . . . apparently spanking kids no longer works so teenagers just run wild with no consequence while adults suck it up . To punish these out of control teens , a law is passed where a random class if forced to fight to the death . But , for what purpose or point ? When the kids wake up from being drugged , they have no clue what is going on . If the Battle Royale was suppose to be some kind of means of warning to teens to behave , why wouldn't these teens have realized right away what was going on ?
The overall production values were mediocre , the acting over the top , and massive plot gaps abounded . I guess people equate this as some kind of cinematic equivelant of Lord of the Flies or something , but it is really much much less .
113 4 I watch alot of movies , and I have watched quite a few Japanese movies . . . I'm not sure why so many people rate this movie highly , except that it has an audacious premise ( a highschool class forced to fight to the death ) . First , the premise of the Battle Royale is given cursory attention . . . apparently spanking kids no longer works so teenagers just run wild with no consequence while adults suck it up . To punish these out of control teens , a law is passed where a random class if forced to fight to the death . But , for what purpose or point ? When the kids wake up from being drugged , they have no clue what is going on . If the Battle Royale was suppose to be some kind of means of warning to teens to behave , why wouldn't these teens have realized right away what was going on ?
The overall production values were mediocre , the acting over the top , and massive plot gaps abounded . I guess people equate this as some kind of cinematic equivelant of Lord of the Flies or something , but it is really much much less .
115 4 While some may think of this movie as humorous entertainment or a bizarre horror flick , it is really not so different from the state of some youth today . If you carefully examine the news , you can see that ultraviolence is no longer just the subject of fiction , it is real .
Note , this DVD had an important scene removed , in which the pretty girl murders an older rapist .
038 4 I've been waiting a long time for this on dvd . It doesn't disappoint . The changes made by the director that differ from the book are a little odd , but not terrible . Still a great story even with the odd moments .
037 4 great movie . alot of parts are different from the book but its still a great movie . alot of blood , grusome .
064 4 This movie is about a group of classmates that must compete in a competition . This competition is that you must kill all of your other classmates and the last one standing wins . Now if no one kills anybody within 24 hours , a bomb goes off in every ones collar and EVERBODY dies . While this concept sounds violent and disturbing it is actually not a gross and disgusting as your average horror movie . Plus its a CLASSIC ! Yeah the plot is not the best but it shows the next generation that if we dont be careful , we may be in this circumstance . . . its a thought provoking jewel that you must watch more than once to understand it fully . Now the one problem for some is that this film was not submitted into the MPAA and so it is Not Rated . For me personally , THIS IS NOT FOR KIDS ! ! ! ( Im using my dads account , but im actually 16 , so im not a kid . ) If you show this too ANYONE 10 and under you will scare them for life ! ( Maybe not THAT bad but it'll definately make em cry ) So i would not give this film a PG - 13 or R rating . Im 16 and i could easily handle it . Some 12 year olds might and some might not . I guess my age ange would be mature 13 and fourteen year olds or 15 and up . The MPAA says you must be 17 and older to watch R rated movies but younger can view it so thats why it wouldnt be rated R . But if it was PG - 13 then many young immature teens would watch it and that wouldnt work . So stick with my ratings anfd if you qualify ( ya know my rating system ? ) THEN BUY THIS BEFORE ITS GONE ! ! ! ! !
010 4 Directed by the late Kinji Fukasaku , Battle Royale is a truly magnificent film , and is highly recommended . I first saw the film a few years ago at the urging of a friend and was not disappointed in the least . The film itself is based on the novel by Takami Koshun , which I have not yet had the chance to read . The films narrative deals with the escalating violence among the youth in Japan , and in particular , with the violence in schools . Is the violence that bad ? Are things really going to hell in the classrooms ? The Japanese authorities seem to think so . So how do the authorities set about disciplining the youth ? Detention and expulsion ? No , that won't work . With high unemployment , the youth will just wander the streets and cause mayhem . Something much more harsh and drastic must occur in order to capture the present youths attention .
Moreover , the very fabric of the nation is at stake . How are the Japanese authorities going to set an example which will reverberate within their society ? Well , for starters they pass a new law . So what ! There are already laws on the books dealing with this kind of behavior - - - Right ? . How will this new law change student behavior ? Well , for starters , this is no ordinary law . This new law enacted by the government allows a quasi-military type militia to abduct students from selected schools and send them to an isolated island . But what ever for ? Surely not a youth camp ? There are enough of those already . No , this is something much more draconian and drastic .
Further , things are about to get very extreme in this new youth controlled government . For starters , this militia has complete control over these students lives , and they will force the youth to play out a very twisted and cruel game . One like no other they have ever played . [ With the exception of two ringers who volunteer for the game ] . As these students are sent to an undisclosed site , they must face a horrifying reality : Schools out - - welcome to Battle Royale . Director Fukasaku made the right decision to have actor Takeshi Kitano as the former school teacher who is the one in charge of this latest group of competitors . Who better for the role ? . As the former school teacher of this new group chosen to compete in this years game of survival , he makes it a point early in the film to set the tone by letting the students know that this BATTLE ROYALE is no joke .
And the point Takeshi Kitano makes with a couple of students in the beginning of the film is not lost on the other students . The students must kill each other in order to survive . Only when ONE of the students is left standing will the game come to an end . It is here where you see loyalties and friendships part ways , or strengthen . I like the way Kinji Fukasaku directed the film . This is not like Lord of the Flies as I read in one of the reviews . Battle Royale is a totally different take on a future 21st-century society of ADULTS , that have come to see unruly students as having to be dealt with severely in order to conform to a Japanese society that THEY feel is being threatened . This is a truly great film . Highly Recommended !
039 4 This is a really cool movie with an actual budget , and its something only the Japanese would make . Hollywood doesn't have the balls to put out something like this . A story of an over-populated Japan and a government bill called Battle Royal , what better way to solve the problem then send all the teenagers to an island and have them battle it out ? This is a VERY violent movie , all students are each given weapons and nobody leaves until there's only one left , so there are many deaths , well , with over 50 students on the island , you do the math . Highly recommended .
063 4 One of my favorite movies ! if you are uncomfy with teen on teen violence or have a weak stomach then this is NOT for you . one thing i love about this movie is the graphics to me arent cheesy like some horror / gory movies . I watched this movie twice the first night i saw it . at first i was just in awe b / c i honestly didnt expect it to be That Good . I heard about this being so controversal ( sp ) in japan and so i wanted to see what all the fuss was about . then the second time i watched it i saw the many levels of the story . its not just a teen killing teen movie . The story has many levels and elements from physcological to political . the actors were very committed to their characters and brought them out beautifully . the ONLY thing the movie could have done better was explain WHY this act is happening . what drove the adults / government so far to pass this ? the book explains it better but the movie does give a BRief reasoning . but part of that could have been the director ran out of time so i still give movie 5 stars . memorable movie and characters . you know a movie is good when u go out and buy the book the next day !
076 4 I saw the movie which got me interested in the book . The movie was gerat , but the book was better . This movie is a MUST SEE ! ! ! ! ! ! One of my favorite movies , it is a fun movie for all those people who like violent japanese movies . The only thing i do not like about it , is the cover art . : P
102 4 i really liked this movie , but i was a little dissapointed in some things they took out that seemed incredibly important to the plot ( most notably shuyas hatred for the government and his love for rock and roll , and NO mention of bruce springsteen ? ) also they took out same deaths i was really interested in seeing , the homosexual kid who gets tricked into making his own head explode , and the scene where the kid with the crossbow trys to rape the track runner is very tamed down ( in the book she gouges out his eyes and shoves an ice-pick down his throat ) also the whole movie seemed to move WAY to fast , the turned a 600 + page book into a 111 minute film . they also removed the mitsuko rape scenes ( wich i would understand if this was an american movie but dont you only have to be 14 to be shown nude in japan ? well maybe thats just a rumor i heard somewhere ) in short i geuss i expected it to be much much more graphic and explicit than it was.perhaps oneday they'll release one closer to the book , and is about 3 hours so they can really catch the charactors the way the book did ( some of the students weren't even mentioned in the movie ) also i was pretty dissapointed by the ending , i expected the big car chase , and the pencil going into the teachers throat.but if you just wanna see a cool movie than i would strongly reccomend this .
109 4 I picked this up at a Asian movie store today , and now I'm glad I own a copy of the film . I watched this today and it was awesome ! Totally killer .
STORY : 42 15 - year ols students go on a trip to an island . They are knocked out , and they wake up in a room where they learn they are in for a battle royale , where they are forced to kill each other . The one man standing wins and gets to go home .
THOUGHTS : A very entertaining movie . Plus , it has a good ending . The girls are HAWT !
So go buy this movie !
