withche.07
14Apr12
It's hard to decide this movie's rate for me. I would give instantly 3,5. But I can say it deserves 4 in many ways. Let's close it with 3,8.
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dschank
17Apr12
[rewatch] some of the wallop of the subject matter has faded for me in the decade since i first saw this, but it still packs a punch. the gleeful hysteria of it works as well as ever, and unlike "the hunger games," it's full of truly memorable bad guys. though i enjoyed the endless backstories and self-conscious melodrama, some of the digressions don't work as well as others. the kid with the spiky hair is awesome.
crmantao likes this
withche.07
14Apr12
This is powerful movie but its' story is kinda bad and easy,director tried to melt psychological analysis with child-violence in same pot and he is not really successful. Love and family scenes are overdramatized, plot is not satisfactory enough, acting seems OK to me, characters are even well presented. I enjoyed it but someting is unfulfilled: I never ever understand that teacher's relation with ice-cream princess.
crmantao likes this
Justin Oakey
5Apr12
A pitch-black comedy (claiming to be) about an older generation being sick of the callous, disrespectful generation rising behind them. Throw in a dash of eugenics, schoolyard bickering, a popularity contest, and a whole lot of explosive blood-letting, and you've got a really fun movie. "The Hunger Games" pales in comparison.
Steve Pulaski and Harry Rossi like this
msmichel
28Mar12
Didn't live quite up to its reputation and was probably a much more visceral experience on release in 2000. Inventitive premise that doesn't follow up on its impact on Japanese society, in fact the kids haven't even heard of it when its been going on for some time???? Nowhere near as violent as I had been led to believe. Performances mostly Ok but nothing really special here even Kitano as the teacher. MOR really.
davy likes this
sea-of-ether
28Mar12
Just amazing. You end up rooting for the two main characters to make it. Kept me on the edge until the end. It a good look into how twisted humanity and society can be. Friends become enemies, loneliness becomes a centerpiece in this film.
Zach Closs
26Mar12
Its understanding of adolescence and human nature balances out extremely well with its brutal handling of the premise. Little scenes, like the one girl throwing her bag back at the soldiers, for example, make this film what it is. It's been five years since I first saw it, and if anything I love it more now than I did then.
Matthew_Lucas
20Mar12
Searing, wildly entertaining thriller about an economically destroyed Japan, that passes a law requiring one 9th grade class a year to battle to the death until only one victor remains as a way of controlling the youth population. A clear precursor to THE HUNGER GAMES, BATTLE ROYALE has a much darker worldview, as well as a much more vicious sense of humor. Powerfully rendered and heart stopping.
TFCHooligan69 and 2 others like this
Khristopher Steven Horn
12Dec11
Iconic film in Japanese cinematography. A Nippon version of "Lord of the Flies". Happens to be one of my favorite movies.....I would highly recommend it.
Kimatthemovies
18Sep11
With acting and special effects one can quickly deem as b-grade, this film still is one of the greatest films of all time. Or at LEAST the past 20 years.
SDSM
11Sep11
With its controversial premise of school kids killing each other, people may initially assume Battle Royale as nothing more then just another japanese shock film. But its much more then that. An excellent film with some interesting ideas.
Steve Pulaski likes this
Easton Dubois
19Aug11
This made my teenage tits perky, a subsequent revisiting revealed chester mccheeserton
KAIJA EIGHTY likes this
theNonIrishJazzman
11Aug11
I was surprised to find this film not as gory as I had been lead to believe. Indeed, I was even surprised by how much the story and the characters managed to transcend the action. Overall, a strong and clever plot with riveting performances from some very promising youngsters.
Risya
14Jul11
The film focuses on the bizarre idea of a nation literally terrorized by their youth and showed what happens when a group of high school students are sent to an abandoned island to kill each other! Yep, what a crazy scenario that may seem absolutely ridiculous at first that turns out brutal in every way but very edgy and interesting in the same time.
Joel Neville Anderson
8Jul11
Screening tonight at JAPAN CUTS 2011 in New York City http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=730c1e76