I've never seen Hunger Games, so I won't compare Battle Royale to that.
This movie is fairly over the top. It's sort of a weird mish-mash of Escape from New York, Clockwork Orange, Lost (the TV series, which came out after this) and any "last person standing" film. The central concept (forcing troublesome teens to fight each other to the death, seemingly as a form of population control) is pretty crazy. I think, more than any on-screen violence, the central conceit is what really makes me nauseous when I watch this film.
There's so many characters in this film, and it seems like they had some trouble giving them developed, individual personalities. In the end, that doesn't diminish the film too much, but it would have been nice to get to know some of the characters better. Some characters were really pivotal to the story, but were just sort of....there. You kind of wonder what made them be selected for the programme in the first place, since they seemed like nice, well adjusted kids for the most part.

Battle Royale was a huge hit in Japan when it came out in 2000 and found a cult following in the West. I’m not sure why.

The movie is based in a Japan where high unemployment had driven up the crime rate, especially amongst the young to the point where society turned against juveniles. That led to the Millennium Educational Reform Act where a single class of students was placed upon an abandoned island where they would have to fight each other to the death. The lucky class gets told the rules of the game by their teacher played by Takeshi Kitano. While doing so he kills several of his students making the point clear to the survivors that they have to take this seriously. I guess the point was that the adults wanted to watch kids kill themselves to punish them for the troubles they were causing in society.

There’s nothing else to the plot. It’s just about how each kid will die and who will turn on who. On top of that there are some really horribly acted scenes. That along with the length, 2 hours makes me wonder what all the fuss was about.
C

I don't know about this movie. I feel like the banning of it, and all the publicity surrounding it was a ruse to create interest and sales. There have been more explicit movies that didn't generate this type of publicity. Personally, I wasn't all that impressed with this. The plot twists and conclusions were pretty much predictable. Actually, the ending was too predictable. I was expecting something more profound and thoughtful. Some of the violent scenes were very clever -- such as the free-for-all with the girls in the kitchen that resulted in all of their deaths. But for the most part, I felt as if I had seen all of this stuff before. There are some poignant dramatic instances, I thought some of the dialogue that dealt with reminisces about lost loves and lost friendships was rather poignant. Check out Suicide Club, instead of this.

This movie is absolutely amazing. Had heard about it because people mentioned it was similar to Hunger Games. On some level it is, but there are very important differences. A main difference is that in Battle Royale, the unwilling participants forced to kill each other are high school classmates who knew each other, not strangers. They also are not trained killers and are randomly assigned a different tool or weapon, some of which are useless. I found this premise much more interesting than the Hunger Games because the various characters react in many different but believable ways (don't want to reveal and spoil the movie) and prior relationships come into play in both good ways and bad and in ways you would expect in high school. It's a huge psychological study and makes you think about what you would have done in their situation as well as others you know. It also does not gloss over the violence, which in this case I think is important to show the savagery at play but does at times make it difficult to watch. And the scene in the lighthouse is worth watching the entire movie for (reminded me of Reservoir Dogs). I read that at one point before the Hunger Games they had considered remaking it for US audiences - glad they didn't as the power of the film is its rawness, and a sanitized Hollywood version would have ruined the message.

There's more to this review, but I'm just giving the general premise of the film without spoiling it. The film is basically about a bunch of highschool kids who get kidnapped due to governmental rules in which they have to fight for their lives with only the last standing student being given a pass to freedom. There's rules that students have to follow as each fights for his/her life. The film is gruesome yet intriguing... I would've gave it a higher score but there's some scenarios that happen in which it's just not believable or laughable. Still, there's a reason as to why a lot of people like this film. If you're a person who doesn't like violence or killing, then it's best to steer away from this--not too much gore but more disturbing human interactions

In the year 2014, Battle Royale is most commonly known as the movie that The Hunger Games ripped off. Although there are striking similarities between the two (a group of teenagers pitted against each other on a secluded island, casualties are announced over a loudspeaker), the two are executed in completely different ways. The only aspect The Hunger Games can flaunt over BR is its more developed reasoning behind the 'games' and a firm root in politics. In every other way, Battle Royale is better and more enjoyable. It has the tone of an 80's kids fantasy, like The Goonies or Gremlins, and although it features a bunch of kids brutally murdering each other, the goal is not to sicken the audience. The violence is broken up with bits of humor, mostly dealing with juvenile crushes, and a classical score that brings a certain flippancy to the material. Compared to The Hunger Games, the characters are more believable as kids because of there references to cliques, crushes, and the fantastic flashback/dream sequences that shed light on their consciences. The convincing performances from the entire cast contribute to this immensely. Despite the constant killing, Battle Royale is a non stop thrill ride that never once sags or becomes monotonous. Each kill is unique in its own way. The film doesn't really have time to meditate on the deaths themselves, which is good because if the weight behind every single death was measured, the film would be 3 hours long and a lot less fun. Instead, the pacing is perfect and Battle Royale remains a genuine adrenaline rush from beginning to end. Watching it, it's kind of hard to believe that it was made in the year 2000. Director Kinji Fukasaku shot it like it was made in the mid-to late 70's, with lots of dolly shots, hand-held shots, and long zooms. It's hard to pinpoint exactly, but the whole film gives off a retro-vibe. Perhaps it's the color tone. Whatever it is, it makes Battle Royale feel like a long lost classic. Its absurdism at its finest.

Battle Royale is a movie that takes a high concept idea and doesn't hold back. Based on a best-selling book and with a movie released in 2000, film geeks were all talking about it. "Kids put in a battle to kill each other?" Who comes up with this stuff?

I watched this over a decade ago and recently watched it again. Obviously, with such a preposterous premise, I *had* to see this. I don't take pleasure in watching kids murder each other, but I had to see what the filmmakers were thinking. Being someone that doesn't have children (yet), I'm probably not as affected by this film compared to how a parent would.

The film starts off with a summary to explain how these events came to be so that you can suspend your disbelief. It's not an entirely convincing explanation, but whatever, let's get to the carnage! The kids are brought to an island, they are given weapons, and within three days time, the last one standing gets to go home. If two people are standing they will have to eliminate each other or both automatically die. How their deaths are triggered and all the rules of the game are explained by a delightfully cheery video tour guide.

The story does take itself rather seriously. There are violent bloody deaths, with the occasional dark humor throughout to contrast against that. On my first watch (and this is terrible to say but I am allowed to say it), all the kids kind of look similar. However, on a second watch, I was able to tell them apart. I mention this because there about 40-50 characters to start, and until they start thinning themselves out can you take the time to remember who the main players are.

Does this film have a message? I guess, don't piss off adults? Is it a good story? I thought it was rather thrilling in how it all played out. Do I suggest a watch? Definitely, but please know what you are about to get into. Let the battle begin! Recommend.

I got this movie because it stated it was subtitled. It wasn’t: it was completely dubbed in English and without the option to watch it in it’s original Japanese language. It’s truly disappointing and misleading. Don’t waste your coin on getting this if you’re looking for the non-dubbed version