Battle Royale

2012 • 122 минут

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In this uncensored and unrated Director's Cut of the cult classic, a group of ninth-grade students from a Japanese high school have been forced by legislation to compete in a Battle Royale. The students are each given a bag with a randomly selected weapon and a few rations of food and water and sent off with three days to kill each other until one survives - or they all die. The story focuses on a few of the students and how they cope. Some, like the psychotic Kiriyama or the hyper-sexual Mistuko, decide to play the game. Others, like Shuya, Noriko, and Kawada, try to find a ways to get off the island without violence. But as the violence increases and the numbers fall, can Shuya and his classmates survive?

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But don't say Hunger Games is a rip of this film, you just look ignorant. That's like saying Battle Royale is a rip off of Running Man, Lord of the Flies, the Most Dangerous Game, Series 7, etc etc. Battle Royale hardly invented the kids killing kids or reality tv murder spree genre. That being said, Battle Royale is fun. While smart and entertaining, the movie is kind of unsubtle and only addresses its themes in large, unsubtle brush strokes. It's not particularly deep, but I'm not sure it needs to be. Hunger Games is a more detailed look at society, while Battle Royale, I assume intentionally, doesn't go into as much detail.

I watched this movie thanks to a friend's recommendation years ago (thank you, Netflix!) and I'm glad to see it back for a real US release. It's a definite must see for anyone who - like others have already said - don't mind being disturbed. Love it! For all of you Hunger Games bashers out there... Suzanne Collins didn't even know Battle Royale existed until after the first book was written and someone told her about it. She conceptualized it while flipping between Survivor and watching footage from Iraq, of all things. (Google it to find several sources to confirm.) As similar as the two books/movies are, they're still different enough in their own ways for each to stand on their own as great works of literature & film. So, review this movie for what it is, and leave The Hunger games out of it!

....Gripping, powerful and intense graphic Japanese action thriller, with elements of tragedy, romance and youthful longing that blends the film together brilliantly. I enjoy this film, and any fan of Asian cinema who hasn't seen this yet should take notice of this time-honored classic. (But this English dub stuff is of no use.)