Customer Reviews

Battle Royale (Region 3) (Import)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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".

James Gunn, director of Slither, lists this as one of his favourite movies. I can see why. It's amazing. I'm a pretty lazy guy, so watching a movie with subtitles seems like lots of work to me, but it is well worth it. So far, the only other movie I can say this about is Pan's Labyrinth.

This movie has it all. Lots of violence, a love story, and some truly funny moments. Plus, it has that Vic Romano guy from MXC!!!!

Just be aware that you'll need an all-regions DVD player, as it will not play on strict North America region DVD players.

"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.

this movie was based on an excellent book of the same name and remember if you live in the us make sure u buy region 1 encided items for your dvd player.

Excellent is that word, you like gore and guns, and don't mind reading subtitles, you will love Battle Royale.

Easily as provocative, if not moreso than Swift's "A Modest Proposal" I truly loved this film for its cinematogrpahy and its messages. I recommend it to everyone with an open mind as well as a strong stomach but uh, don't show it to the kiddies;) On a side note, I really enjoyed the special features and the Tarantino interview was interesting. He picked an excellent movie to inspire scenes in his Kill Bill films; I particularly like how he used Chiaki Kuriyama to play Gogo in a similar school uniform and he never mentioned it, but I always wondered what he thought of Chigusa's jogging gear;) I'd recommend finding a seller on eBay with good feedback on selling region 1 material if you'd like to own the film though.

I ordered this through Import CD Specialists and got a DVD which cannot be viewed on the North American system. Read the fine print!

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!

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.

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?