Batoru Rowaiaru (Battle Royale) Review: Morbidly Entertaining

Battle Royale combines Lord of the Flies and heightened teen drama into a violent yet intelligent and entertaining movie that could only come from Japan.

The story is really simple.  It’s kill, get killed, or die from a monitored collar. The plot is filled with senseless violence but the interesting mix of characters and how they respond to the game makes the movie engrossing. With an impressive cast of teen actors,  there are worthy villains to watch and a group of hopefuls to root for.

Character stories, expertly choreographed violence, and humor is perfectly mixed together. Even though it’s crazy and comical Battle Royale isn’t simplistic. It explores moral conflict and life-and-death stakes from the perspective of adolescents. It shows teamwork, determination, and discipline in a provocative set-up that commits to its premise.

Alliances are made and destroyed, friendships are tested and killers are born. Some defy the system, some choose their own fate, some are forced to play the game, and others willingly engage in a fight to the death.

In the end, the movie ends like any other war but it is by no means less meaningful. Battle Royale is a bold and wildly-original teen movie poised to be a classic that will surely be imitated but could never be duplicated.