Battle Royale DVD

Advantages: Brutal, violent, satirical, shockingly funny film
Disadvantages: Plot holes, may be too disturbing for some

...The 2000 Japanese film, Battle Royale, is a horror/thriller/action/social satire/Lord Of The Flies rip-off like none other you've seen before. It stars Count Takeshi from Takeshi's Castle (now that was a show and a half) and a bunch of Japanese teenagers, naturally (one of these is the girl who played the ball-and-chain spinning crazy schoolgirl in Kill Bill). The film is narrated by Shuya, a boy who grew up in care after his mother left and his ...
...a little disturbing. But Battle Royale isn't just an excuse for scenes of extreme violence; it also takes satirical swipes at the notions of school discipline and how to punish today's delinquent youth, and provides a blackly humorous version of reality TV. The film is quite ruthless in the way it counts down towards the game's finale - all the kids are assigned numbers and whenever somebody is killed, writing on the screen appears to say the number ... Read review

Advantages: Meaningful, violent and very funny
Disadvantages: Could be too extreme for some tastes

...chosen for the government’s new Battle Royale scheme, a bloodthirsty method of keeping unruly and disrespectful kids in check. The class are taken to a deserted island, given a backpack full of goodies each with a different weapon and told to wipe each other out; last man or woman standing gets to go home. As if things weren’t already bad enough for the poor little tykes, they also have to wear irremovable collars that will explode if they don’t ...
...them how to fight in Battle Royale with “gusto” and it is hilarious. This instructional tape makes light of the entire situation, a happy go lucky female explains with the enthusiasm of a blue peter presenter how they are basically all going to die on this island; it’s a master stroke. This use of comedy throughout the film makes all the killing and blood shed much easier to bear for the viewer, who wouldn’t laugh when one of the students finds out ... Read review

Advantages: Emotional, Violent and Meaningful
Disadvantages: Japanese film with english sub titles

Battle Royale (2000) Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, Battle Royale tells of the story of a controversial future in Japan, whereby 9th Grade Classes are randomly selected to appear in a “Survival of the Fittest Game”. The film is based upon a novel by Koushun Takami. The purpose behind the BR Act was to stop the children rebelling against the adults, as schools were reporting crimes of extreme disobedience, and violence. The adults introduced the act ...
...way they do. During Battle Royale the scenes of graphic violence, and the inhumane portrayal of the adults in Japan may often shock you, but the film isn’t just about violence, it is also about a struggle for freedom, about friendships and about loyalty between companions. I found the acting in the film very good, and felt each person filled their role well, showing enough passion or hatred to make it more realistic. Throughout the film you often ... Read review

Advantages: refreshing violence and death
Disadvantages: bit expensive

...To give us some battle tips steve told me to buy Battle Royale on dvd, being from the far east he was aware of the work of 'BEAT' Takeshi (some japanese actor) and had heard good stuff about it, i had been aware of a little bit of uproar when it came out at the cinema over here and had wanted to see it but my local only played it about twice before playing some pap about aa animated fish or something. We whacked it in and enjoyed. Battle royale ...
...Kawada, an ex contestant on battle royale who won it a few years back. He has taken part to find out the meaning behind the game after his girlfriend was killed, by him, in the final moments of the game. The three days of carnage is played out brilliantly with some excellent moments of violence throughout (a sequence in a lighthouse with a group of girls and a misunderstanding over poison is brilliant) some of them set to classical music which gives ... Read review

Advantages: a serious message, raises interesting questions
Disadvantages: Subtitles? (if you don't like that sort of thing)

This film is in parts very gorry, thats not to say the violence is over the top considering the plot, just the it is seen rather than infered. I am not adverse to gore but at the same time that was not my intention for watching it. I had heard alot about this film, much of it to do with the violence but i was intrigued to view it for myself. The plot revolves around a class of school children, in not to distant future Tokyo. It is a time where not ...
...is out of control, respect for there elders is non existent. Teachers are dictated and atacked in schools. To resolve this the government passes the BR act, which consists of a class of children choosen at random each year to be taken to an island, fitted with collars which can explode and told to kill each other, all under the watchful eye of a former teacher with problems of his own. The last one remaining gets to leave the island, if there is ... Read review