Battle Royale
A great film, well-executed (teeheee)

however...

I saw the film first, several years ago and I read the book a little while ago (thoroughly enjoyable, I recommend it) and thought that the film had done a good job of representing the book, until I watched the film again yesterday.

For some reason they decided to introduce the character Kitano, an old teacher of the class as the guy running that particular Battle Royale and for some reason make him obsessed with one of the students.

Why on earth would they do that? I asked myself. there seemed to be no reason....

still a good film though.

I urge you, if you enjoyed the film (or if you haven't seen it, watch it) then read the book.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 8:44, 9 replies)

I can't help feeling...
that Battle Royale wouldn't be as popular / cult as it is if was et anywhere other than Japan. It was done better in Mean Guns and, more recently, The Condemmed. But they don't have any Japanese schoolgirls in, so they clearly aren't as good...
(ScousersPet, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 10:33, closed)

Kitano
They had the teacher as a major part of the film as he is played by one of the most famous Japanese actor/comedian/poets around, 'Beat' Takeshi.

Star power my boy.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 10:52, closed)

ScousersPet
have you just tried to tell me that a film with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones in is better than Battle Royale?

and a film with Christopher Lambert and Ice-T?

forget all of these and read Battle Royale. it's outstanding
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 11:33, closed)

^
I actually found the American version of the book for sale in my local Help the Aged charity shop. Bargain for 99p!
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 11:55, closed)

I went to see this with a friend at an "arty" cinema when at Uni
and I absolutely loved it. I bought it on DVD and my fascination with Japanese schoolgirls began right there.
( M3rx likes the Asian ladies, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 11:58, closed)

@Vipros
I would say that I actually enjoyed both The Condemmed and Mean Guns more than Battle Royale.

When I was watching BR for the first time, I couldn't help thinking that I'd seen it all before and it was only when I saw Mean Guns again afterwards that I realised that they had a kinda similar plot. The Condemmed is pretty much a straight rip-off of BR, but I enjoyed the action sequences a lot more.

My big problem with Battle Royale is it reminds me of the stories I would write when I was a teenager, liked Steven King and had an unhealthy obssesion with guns. It struck me as a series of "cool" set-piece deaths, strung together by a tenuous plot, masquerading as satire. With Japanese schoolgirls.

I'm now tempted to keep an eye out for the book (it's a "book" book, right? Not a comic?), just to see if it's as good as you say, though a lot of my mates raved about the film and I was sorely disapointed.
(ScousersPet, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 13:24, closed)

I see where you are coming from with the set piece deaths
the film is fairly true to the book, but has more time to fill in between encounters.

it is a book book, rather than a comic, and quite a chunky one at that.

it gives you more background on the characters as well, which makes them all a little more interesting
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 15:14, closed)

...
Why this film is so popular is completely lost on me. I'm not saying I think it's shit or anything, just that I don't find it good.
Like most Japanese films, the acting is poor, and stuffing Takeshi in there was a bit odd, since most people in Japan see him as only a comedian. It's hard to take him seriously when you see him on TV dressed up as a monkey with a plastic turd on the end of a stick. Has he made or been in a good film since Hanabi or Sonatine???


No
(Mr.Dog was in love again on, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 16:26, closed)

Great film
Although I suspect I probably wasn't meant to be laughing during the "Gunfight with Uzis in the kitchen" scene.

The second film was an utter pile of uselss, mind you.
(Big D, Tue 22 Jul 2008, 17:02, closed)