It's been a while since I've reviewed a non-new release. I really should write more of them, since one of the main reasons I started this blog was to introduce or re-introduce moviegoers to film they may not have heard of or at least haven't seen in a while. Right now, I can't think of a better movie to review than the 2000 cult classic Japanese film, Battle Royale. In my mostly negative review of The Hunger Games, one of my main critiques was that it was basically a neutered down ripoff of Battle Royale. I re-watched the Battle Royale after viewing The Hunger Games to see if the former actually held up or if I had spoken too soon. Does Battle Royale still deliver the goods or has the concept lost its luster?
Battle Royale is based on the novel of the same name by Koushun Takami. Both the novel and the film takes place in early 21st century Japan. The country's economy and government is all but in ruins. Unemployment is at an all time high and crime rates have risen exponentially, with the country's youth at the forefront of it's crimes. In an effort to control the rebellious teenagers, the government approves the Battle Royale Act, a program where one class of 42 students is randomly selected to fight in a vicious 3-day battle to the death. The students are taken to a remote island, given a small bag of food, water, and a weapon. They're also forced to wear electric collars which instantly kill the wearer should they tamper with them or find a way off the island. After the 3 day time limit, if more than one student is still standing, everyone's collar explodes and nobody survives. With time as a factor, the once-peaceful students are forced to either kill their friends and companions... or find a way to beat the system.
I'm going to try my best to avoid comparing Battle Royale to The Hunger Games. It wouldn't be fair to Battle Royale, since the movie pre-dates The Hunger Games by nearly a decade. Still, because The Hunger Games is fresh in so many people's minds (myself included), I might feel compelled to make a comparison here and there.
With that said, I'm just going to get this out of the way... which one is better, Hunger Games or Battle Royale? Well, despite the nearly identical premise, they're actually quite different. One is a compelling and suspenseful, action packed satirical thriller with top notch filmmaking and interesting characters. The other is a below average action film geared toward teenage audiences that, despite a promising setup and cast, bombards you with shoddy camera work, bland action, stale characters, goofy costume, derivative production design, and a watered down message because it's filmmakers were too afraid to take it's promising themes into the compelling dark depth the film so-very-much wanted to go. In other words... Battle Royale makes The Hunger Games it's bitch!
Okay... I promise to stop talking trash about The Hunger Games. Despite my less-than-enthusiastic review, I really don't hate the movie as much as I let on. The truth is... I just like to piss off geeks and fanboys. I say that full well knowing that I am a huge nerd myself, but I digress. With all that said... let's move onto Battle Royale.
It's easy to see why Battle Royale has become such a prominent cult classic. The topic of teens slaughtering each other may not seem quite as taboo as it did ten years ago thanks to the release of the aforementioned flick with a similar concept (I know, I promised), but to see just how far this movie is willing to go is quite mind blowing.
I don't consider myself a foreign film expert, but many films I've seen to come out of Japan have been pretty sick (huge understatement in some cases), so I can't say I was totally surprised or shocked to see how far Battle Royale went, especially with my background in the horror genre. Still, it's hard to deny that this is one hell of a violent movie. Basically it takes the pacing and setting of a survivalist thriller and throws in the over-the-top gore of a splatter-house flick. It's made all the more gut-wrenching when you remember that all the violence it being done to or by a bunch of 14-year-olds. Fortunately, Battle Royale doesn't go straight for shock value. The action scenes are shot and carried out with an eye for suspense and tension. In other words, it's full of well-framed shots plus a good sense of pacing. It's one hell of a thrilling ride from start to finish.
So the film is action packed and excessively violent, that much is known, but the main question is this... does the story pack an equal punch? For the most part... yes. I don't want to over-praise it, seeing how the script has a few hiccups here and there, but overall it's pretty damn good. It's themes of youth rebellion and governmental collapse rings similar to Kubrick's 1971 classic, "A Clockwork Orange." (One of my favourite films of all time).
The idea that Japan would result to pitting it's youth against each other in a barbaric fight to the death is admittedly a little far fetched, but it nonetheless presents an interesting "what-if" scenario that's intriguing to watch... even if it can't help but come off as a little preachy. I liked the way the film tried to set up each of it's characters as well. Even though the acting can't help but come off as a little melodramatic, the characters in their own right were pretty interesting. Some were given backstories while others were limited to just being in the background. Fortunately, the writers made the effort to give as many as they could some degree of depth. Few of them are generic evil or good, but rather have certain shades of grey which make them feel more human. Some of the most memorable moments came from the students being forced to kill or be killed, and just how their actions affected their psyche. It's pretty intense stuff that rarely lets up and is all but guaranteed to stick with you long after you finish watching it.
Now don't get me wrong, Battle Royale isn't for everyone. The gratuitous violence and edgy subject matter is bound to be too much for some, but for anyone that can handle the buckets of blood, this one is definitely recommended. Not a perfect movie, but a very good one and a must watch for anyone who can handle it.
My Score: 4 out of 5!
I'm going to try my best to avoid comparing Battle Royale to The Hunger Games. It wouldn't be fair to Battle Royale, since the movie pre-dates The Hunger Games by nearly a decade. Still, because The Hunger Games is fresh in so many people's minds (myself included), I might feel compelled to make a comparison here and there.
With that said, I'm just going to get this out of the way... which one is better, Hunger Games or Battle Royale? Well, despite the nearly identical premise, they're actually quite different. One is a compelling and suspenseful, action packed satirical thriller with top notch filmmaking and interesting characters. The other is a below average action film geared toward teenage audiences that, despite a promising setup and cast, bombards you with shoddy camera work, bland action, stale characters, goofy costume, derivative production design, and a watered down message because it's filmmakers were too afraid to take it's promising themes into the compelling dark depth the film so-very-much wanted to go. In other words... Battle Royale makes The Hunger Games it's bitch!Okay... I promise to stop talking trash about The Hunger Games. Despite my less-than-enthusiastic review, I really don't hate the movie as much as I let on. The truth is... I just like to piss off geeks and fanboys. I say that full well knowing that I am a huge nerd myself, but I digress. With all that said... let's move onto Battle Royale.
It's easy to see why Battle Royale has become such a prominent cult classic. The topic of teens slaughtering each other may not seem quite as taboo as it did ten years ago thanks to the release of the aforementioned flick with a similar concept (I know, I promised), but to see just how far this movie is willing to go is quite mind blowing.
I don't consider myself a foreign film expert, but many films I've seen to come out of Japan have been pretty sick (huge understatement in some cases), so I can't say I was totally surprised or shocked to see how far Battle Royale went, especially with my background in the horror genre. Still, it's hard to deny that this is one hell of a violent movie. Basically it takes the pacing and setting of a survivalist thriller and throws in the over-the-top gore of a splatter-house flick. It's made all the more gut-wrenching when you remember that all the violence it being done to or by a bunch of 14-year-olds. Fortunately, Battle Royale doesn't go straight for shock value. The action scenes are shot and carried out with an eye for suspense and tension. In other words, it's full of well-framed shots plus a good sense of pacing. It's one hell of a thrilling ride from start to finish.So the film is action packed and excessively violent, that much is known, but the main question is this... does the story pack an equal punch? For the most part... yes. I don't want to over-praise it, seeing how the script has a few hiccups here and there, but overall it's pretty damn good. It's themes of youth rebellion and governmental collapse rings similar to Kubrick's 1971 classic, "A Clockwork Orange." (One of my favourite films of all time).
The idea that Japan would result to pitting it's youth against each other in a barbaric fight to the death is admittedly a little far fetched, but it nonetheless presents an interesting "what-if" scenario that's intriguing to watch... even if it can't help but come off as a little preachy. I liked the way the film tried to set up each of it's characters as well. Even though the acting can't help but come off as a little melodramatic, the characters in their own right were pretty interesting. Some were given backstories while others were limited to just being in the background. Fortunately, the writers made the effort to give as many as they could some degree of depth. Few of them are generic evil or good, but rather have certain shades of grey which make them feel more human. Some of the most memorable moments came from the students being forced to kill or be killed, and just how their actions affected their psyche. It's pretty intense stuff that rarely lets up and is all but guaranteed to stick with you long after you finish watching it.Now don't get me wrong, Battle Royale isn't for everyone. The gratuitous violence and edgy subject matter is bound to be too much for some, but for anyone that can handle the buckets of blood, this one is definitely recommended. Not a perfect movie, but a very good one and a must watch for anyone who can handle it.
My Score: 4 out of 5!
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