NationStates Jolt Archive

Battle Royale = sick movie.

Sick as in awesome. I must say I've gotten interested in Japanese movies (that are not anime). I'm not too fond of anime though.

I saw Ichi the Killer a little while back, but it was not the spark. This was.

I'd like to ask anybody here. Have you guys watched Battle Royale and liked it?

What other Japanese movies have you watched?

i want too see battle royale and battle royale 2, just so happened when film four had them, on the free to watch film four weekend, my sky dish broke :( and well they look awesome, i love japanese and chinese films, espeically martial arts movies, i love the effects!!

I watched Battle Royale and had a boner the whole time because it was so cool. Other Japanese films I like are Shichi no Samurai, the Cowboy Bebop series, and the Berserk series. There is more awesome in those than you can handle.

Battle Royale = sick movie.

Sick as in awesome. I must say I've gotten interested in Japanese movies (that are not anime). I'm not too fond of anime though.

I saw Ichi the Killer a little while back, but it was not the spark. This was.

I'd like to ask anybody here. Have you guys watched Battle Royale and liked it?

What other Japanese movies have you watched?
Parasite Eve = Playstation game was baised off of this.
Lady Battle Cop = Japanese Version of Robocop... not bad.
GunHead = Futuristic Combat Robot teams up with Scavengers to save the world.
You're Under Arrest = Series baised off of the Anime. nice potential.
Shogun's Assassin = A classic.
Catseye = Another Anime turned Live Action... not too bad.
anything with Sho Kosugi

Battle Royale is quality! Stay away from the sequel though, it was made by the director's son and is complete nonsense.
The teacher guy is played by Takeshi Kitano, who's done loads of good movies, some which he directed like Zatoichi, Sonatine etc.

I've read the book and that was great, I must watch the movie.

All the Far east films that get released near me are all horror films, what ever happened to a bit of an innocent Kung-fu caper?

Battle Royale = sick movie.

Sick as in awesome. I must say I've gotten interested in Japanese movies (that are not anime). I'm not too fond of anime though.

I saw Ichi the Killer a little while back, but it was not the spark. This was.

I'd like to ask anybody here. Have you guys watched Battle Royale and liked it?

What other Japanese movies have you watched?
Excellent film (as everyone else has said, avoid the sequel, though).
Did anybody think the ending was a bit of a cop out?

Have you guys watched Battle Royale and liked it?


I've watched it, and it's one of my favourite films, if not the favourite. It's well done, at times both thought-provoking and moving, and it leaves a lasting impression.

I've seen the sequel too, and I agree: Don't bother seeing it. It adds little or nothing to the first one, it's far less subtle, there are parts of it that are truly rubbish, and the characters are far less developped (meaning that you automatically care less for them).

Battle Royale? Good film, that. It was pretty funny when the teacher got up to answer the phone after the student had just unloaded an uzi into him.

I have been trying to find it... no luck yet, but I have read the manga version up to volume 14; I still have to get 15.

Haven't watched it and I doubt I would find it in any of the video rental stores around here.

Generally I prefer Hong Kong movies like the ones by Wong Kar-Wai over Japanese movies. I'm not the biggest fan of Takeshi Kitano and I like only some of his movies (like Hana Bi). Another good Japanese movie that I've seen (ages ago) was Tampopo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092048/).

I'm also a big anime fan.

@Jenrak
Don't forget the other countries around there. Try to find some Korean movies too. For example Oldboy (and the sympathy for lady/mr Vengeances).
The best Japanese I saw last year was Kamikaze Girls (made in 2004).

I guess you already are familiar with Japanese and Korean horror films

@Jenrak
Don't forget the other countries around there. Try to find some Korean movies too. For example Oldboy (and the sympathy for lady/mr Vengeances).
The best Japanese I saw last year was Kamikaze Girls (made in 2004).

I guess you already are familiar with Japanese and Korean horror films

I shalt look up some Korean movies. Thanks

Battle Royale is a great film imo. But I'll dissent from the prevailing opinion about the sequal. I actually quite liked it.

Battle Royale is quality! Stay away from the sequel though, it was made by the director's son and is complete nonsense.

Wasn't it finished by the son because Kinji Fukasaku died during the filming of it?

Battle Royale is a great film imo. But I'll dissent from the prevailing opinion about the sequal. I actually quite liked it.



Wasn't it finished by the son because Kinji Fukasaku died during the filming of it?
Yes. And I agree. It's not as good but still worth watching.

Yeah but the father only filmed one scene before he died, and the son had never directed a movie before, explaining the terrible flaws like complete lack of character development, and what the hell's that bit about where the teacher runs in in rugby uniform and says 'I always wanted to play rugby with you'??? and such childishly simplistic politics...

What I didn't understand is why people still went to school. I'd have stayed at home with a shotgun.

It's a great film; basically a very intelligent homage to Lord of the Flies. I'm also more of a Wong Kar-Wai person, though.

It's a great film; basically a very intelligent homage to Lord of the Flies.

Indeed. I've read Lord of the Flies (albeit a long time ago), and Battle Royale renders the atmosphere of the book very well.

Yeah but the father only filmed one scene before he died, and the son had never directed a movie before, explaining the terrible flaws like complete lack of character development,

Ahh right. Thought he did a bit more. Though as a first film, his son certainly could have done a lot worse.

and what the hell's that bit about where the teacher runs in in rugby uniform and says 'I always wanted to play rugby with you'???

Yeah. I have absolutely no idea what that was about

and such childishly simplistic politics...

They were children...


Oh yeah. To add. Has anyone here read the book? That is also well worth reading, imo. It goes into more detail and looks at more of the children as individuals, going into their head and what not.

What I didn't understand is why people still went to school. I'd have stayed at home with a shotgun.

That is sort of looked at, though not explained fully. As far as I can work out, the children know about the Battle Royale act (given the huge amounts of publicity surrounding the girl at the start of the film), however the actual lottery isn't publicised so the class doesn't know till they are there and given the bags etc etc. We also know that at least one of the children is a chronic truant (and I think it is reasonable to assume that there are more), but turns up for the trip thinking it will be a normal end of year trip. After all the majority of the children just seem like, well, children and not as bad as the paniced adults make out. So maybe they assume that it won't be them, or the chances their particular class won't be chosen.

But you may as well ask, why do people smoke/take drugs/or take risks that very well may cause harm, maybe death, whilst totally knowing the risks.


(Apologies is this isn't very clear and a bit long winded, haven't been sleeping well recently and have just woken up from a nap, so a bit groggy eyed.)

I haven't seen the film but I got the manga. It's the most fucked up and scary books I've ever read. From what I've heard of the film it went a lot deeper into the stories of the individuals.

Did anybody think the ending was a bit of a cop out?

The ending was predictable. But still, I saw it in grade seven... Wonder what that did for my mental state... Hehehe... Ichi the Killer looked pretty cool, but I don't have subs so what I saw was really confusing.

Battle Royale was a good movie...really didn't like the second one though.

Most messed up live action Japanese movie I've seen was probably Suicide Club. The gore was a little over the top (as in, extremely unrealistic), but it was still one freaky movie.

Zatoichi was a lot of fun. Cool fights and a blind swordsman. Some really funny parts too. (the 2003 remake directed by Takeshi Kitano, I haven't seen the older ones)

Moon Child is one of my recent favorites.

For Korean movies I loved 3-iron.

The two best movies in this vein that I've seen recently are Oldboy and Three...Extremes. The first is an involving mystery/revenge tale about a man who is kidnapped (seemingly at random) from the street and imprisoned without explaination for 15 years. It has well-developed characters, interesting philosophy, a decent twist, and contains one of the most realistic/least idealized fight scenes ever filmed (the long sequence in the hallway with the hammer). Three...extremes is exactly what it describes itself as. Just don;t see it if you have issues with abortion.