Battle Royale (DVD) Reviews

Based on a 1999 novel by Koushun Takami, Battle Royale is an intriguing 2000 Japanese film in which a group of Japanese students are gassed and transported to a remote island where they are forced to kill eachother until only one remains, with explosive collars placed around their necks that will go off if more than one student survives or if any ...  Read the complete review

"At the dawn of the millennium, the nation collapsed. At fifteen percent unemployment, ten million were out of work. 800,000 students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence, and fearing the youth, eventually passed the Millennium Educational Reform Act--AKA: The BR Act..." Thus begins this powerful and evocative 2001 ...  Read the complete review

This is Quentin Tarrantino's favourite film since he began directing, and we watched it on that basis. It's a Japanese film, so you'll be reading subtitles which is bound to bother some. Personally I find world cinema, particularly Japanese and French films, are a nice break from the predictable, safe world of Hollywood. The film is ...  Read the complete review

Synopsis: In the not too distant future, the youth of Japan has become so out of control in the adult's eyes that they turn to desperate measures to suppress their rebellion. Battle Royale is an expansion of the largely popular book of the same name, it shows a society that is stricken with worry and depression and thus takes it out the ...  Read the complete review

This film has such a twisted storyline and when i first heard what it was about i really didn't want to watch it but i'm so glad i did. It's set in Japan whereby the government have passed act called Battle Royale to try and reform the troublesome youths of society. The kids are rebelling against adults and so the government take over. ...  Read the complete review

This film is not for the faint hearted! This is a Japanese film released in 2000. It is quite original in its storyline and it doesn't fail to shock you. I first watched this film when I was a teenager and thought it was excellent. Having watched it many times since I still think this way. Whilst the idea in the film is ...  Read the complete review

I had been drawn to this film for an awfully long time, most of the friends of mine who had seen it spoke very highly of it so while I browsing some DVD's down at the local shop I saw this and thought 'why not'. Having grown up with wrestling I realised what a Battle Royale was, in that sense it is when all the competitors start in the ...  Read the complete review

Ok I have to get it off my chest straight away! best film ever made!!! Seriously watch this film even if you have doubts about how it looks, read the back of the case, watch the trailor, do anything you can to see what it is like, I can not recommend it enough. Basically schools can not control kids anymore, nothing they seem ...  Read the complete review

In the not so distant future, Japanese society is crumbling as social disorder increases. With record unemployment and ever-decreasing prospects for the country's youth, students have begun to boycott schools, resulting in a controversial bill being passed by government. Selected at random, a group of children at school leaving age are transported ...  Read the complete review

Battle Royale is probably my favourite film - nothing since my first viewing of this Japanese cult classic has shocked or entranced my quite the same way, and even though I must be on my 15th viewing it still has the ability to thoroughly entertain and absorb me. The film centres on a Japan where the powers that be have decided that ...  Read the complete review

Kinji Fukasaku's adaptation of Battle Royale, is a graphic and visceral film that grips you from minute one, and bombards you with the horrific implications of what these schoolchildren have been forced into. With popular Japanese actor Tatsuya Fujiwara (also Kira in the film adaptation of the manga series 'Death Note') taking the lead ...  Read the complete review

Originally my brother told me about this film back in 2004 and it sounded very interesting, but then I forgot all about it as it is not the type of film that is exactly gonna be in newspapers or have won any oscars. Then thankfully my friend gave it to me(at that time I had no idea it was the same film my brother had watched) and the rest is ...  Read the complete review

I've seen the film at least 7 times now and it just gets better each time. I see more and more every time I watch it, spotting different things I hadn't seen before. Don't think of this as a foreign language film with English subtitles. It surpasses the fact that you have subtitles to read to follow the plot. That becomes a natural part of your ...  Read the complete review

- BATTLE ROYALE - Released In 2000 the notorious apocalyptic Japanese film 'Battle Royale' is directed by Kinji Fukasaku and stars Takeshi Kitano ('Beat') and Yukihiro Kutani. Originally banned from entering the country, it went on to become the highest grossing Mainstream Japanese film ever, to enter the UK. Genre ...  Read the complete review

(Also appears at ShaunMunro.co.uk) Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Masanobu Ando, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto Release Date: December 16th, 2000 (Japan), September 14th, 2001 (UK) Certificate: R-15 (Japan), 18 (UK) Battle Royale, the adaptation of Koshun Takami's ...  Read the complete review

Location: Japan. Time: Er… round about now, I think. Situation: Schools are getting out of control - kids show no discipline or respect for authority, teachers are getting stabbed, and something has to be done. Solution: Why, the only answer is to send a class of 42 teenagers to an island, give them three days and ...  Read the complete review

Upon first watching the film, it is difficult to understand the theme behind Battle Royale. The idea being that the youth of Japan are no longer respectful of their elders. School children are disruptive, violent and the teachers and parents can't control them. To tackle this problem, the government passes the Battle Royale act. Every year one ...  Read the complete review

Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru, 2000) tells a tale of raw rebellion. Japan is struggling with ever-increasing unemployment rates, and violence amongst youths in Japanese schools is at an all time high. Kinji Fukasaku (Double Cross, Virus) directs an action/thriller, questionably horror, film of solving both problems at once, with the B.R.A (Battle ...  Read the complete review

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on the book by Koushon Takami this is from start to finish a remarkable visceral adventure through the Japanese psyche. It is one of the rare examples of the movie outdoing the book due in large part to Fukasaku, director of Tora!Tora!Tora, whose sense of drama leads to several of the most emotional scenes ...  Read the complete review

"What was that noise?" "What noise?" "Exactly... what was that noise..." "What was what noise?" "That noise!" *At this point, the violent sound of an automatic weapon explodes in a frenzied burst, before a moment of silence. ...  Read the complete review