Battle Royale 2

For those of you who drop by here periodically (and if you're not one of them...why not??!!), you know of my love of foreign horror movies. Now, domestic horror is still pretty good, but there's just something about these imported treasures that just makes my heart beat a little faster. Maybe it's that even the cultural references are different that makes these movies just that little bit more frightful, or maybe it's the fact that these film-makers seem to assume that I have a brain and that I'm using it, and there's not five extra minutes of exposition, telling me what's happening, that I love about them. In any case, I'm on another Asian Horror kick, and this time, I watched Battle Royale 2!



If you didn't see the original Battle Royale, then check out the review I did for the original here. If you've seen it then here we go: Battle Royale 2 picks up three years after the original and the country is in chaos. The two escapees from the original battle, have formed a terrorist group of children and have declared war on adults, but the adults have a little something up their sleeve, it's a new Battle Royale. This time the kids are drafted into the new battle to fight the terrorist kids. The same rules apply...sort of...there's still the explosive collars, they're still turned loose on an island with weapons, but instead of each other, they're sent to kill the leader of the terrorists, Nanahara Shuya (the male escapee from Battle 1). This movie is obviously a commentary on war, and the war on terror specifically, with the U.S. being mentioned, although not by name. The general concensus here seems to be that war is a means to peace and that if you want peace badly enough, you should be willing to fight for your version of it. A stark commentary, but a realistic one nonetheless.

I'm giving Battle Royale 2 three and a half out of four cigars,

and it only lost that last half cigar for being just a little long and having some confusing twists, at one point the teacher who is behind the entire battle, throws everything to the wind to join the kids...briefly...and seals his own fate, a turn that I didn't see coming and really didn't understand! Other than the length and a couple of little items that confused me (that honestly could be some cultural issues that I don't fully understand), Battle Royale 2 is a sequel that rivals the original. It's still a full on graphic assault on both the senses and your morals, it's not really a horror movie, but horror elements are there, and you can see a definite 'Private Ryan-esque' influence in the war scenes. It's one of the rare sequels that doesn't just redo the original movie, it takes what the original was and builds on it in a great way! The original and this sequel would make a great afternoon of viewing...in fact, I think I just planned my Saturday! So, until next time, when I'll tell you about my personal Battle Royale...and yes, it's a Royale with cheese, remember that the best movies are bad movies.