Batoru Rowaiaru (2000)
Genre: Action / Thriller
Duration: 114 minuten / 122 minuten (director's cut)
Alternative titles: Battle Royale / Battle Royale 3-D / Battle Royale: Special Edition / Batoru Rowaiaru 3D / バトル・ロワイアル
Country:
Japan
Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku
Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda and Tarō Yamamoto
IMDb score:
7,5 (207.517)
Releasedate: 16 December 2000
Batoru Rowaiaru plot
"Could you kill your best friend?"
A class of students is taken to a small isolated island. Once there, they get a map of the island, food, and several weapons (one more useful than the other). They must fight each other for three days so that one person remains. They all get a collar that explodes if they break the rules. If several people are left after the third day, all the collars will explode...
Actors and actresses
Shuya Nanahara (Boy #15)
Noriko Nakagawa (Girl #15)
Kitano
Shogo Kawada (Boy #5)
Kazuo Kiriyama (Boy #6)
Mitsuko Souma (Girl #11)
Takako Chigusa (Girl #13)
Shinji Mimura (Boy #19)
Hiroki Sugimura (Boy #11)
Yôshitoki Kuninobu (Boy #7)
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
-
- 87679 messages
- 13026 votes
haha.
One of those movies I never wrote a review for. In other words, it's high time to reconsider. It had been a long time since I'd seen this one, so I was curious to see what would be left of it.
The concept is now well known, technically you start to see the defects left and right. Visually it is somewhat dark and colorless, while that does not immediately match the atmosphere of the film. Quite typical for Japanese cinema in the late 1990s, but Fukasaku doesn't do enough with it. Fortunately, the camera work is sufficient.
Ultimately, it is mainly the absurd touches that keep this film interesting. The wacky, happy soundtrack, Kitano's crazy character (including the legendary ending), the introduction video, the speeches, especially characters die… it's all doubly thick. This way you get a film that is quite shocking, but also very light-hearted and amusing. A tricky combination that just works here, still.
Nice revision, in which the most important qualities are still preserved.
4.0* and a detailed review
Translated from Dutch · View original
Bram0108
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- 165 messages
- 112 votes
The film was certainly not bad, although the acting level was not always very good. A few years ago I would love a movie with these brutal murders, but nowadays I don't like the much violence and little story in a movie. Graphically it's fine and it's definitely original!
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
UmbraVitae
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- 4471 messages
- 4179 votes
Still watched the director's cut. Had quite high expectations for this, but my general feeling is rather disappointment. However, this theme/genre often appeals to me enormously and I can often appreciate Japanese films. Okay he's 21 years old, but that's not nearly why he was less than expected, especially with the UHD image, this film could even continue before a much more recent film. No, I really missed the tension throughout the entire film, only in the beginning that they are on the island, after that I felt too little. Missed dose of heavy shit nzo, was all too good for me. It is what it is.
Translated from Dutch · View originalPre- and sequels
Batoru Rowaiaru II: Chinkonka
2003
3 comments
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