Battle Royale Reviewed: The Foreign Hardcore Version of Hunger Games

Are you a fan of Hunger Games? Do you get off to kids killing kids. Do you like meaningless gore just for the sake of it? What about poorly dubbed English editions of Japanese movies? Then I have the movie for you! Battle Royale! Taking place in the future, Japan has rebelled against their youth by creating a draft like system where a random class across the country will participate in an event called Battle Royale where all the students fight to the death until one student stands. Why would a government do such a thing? Your answer? Why the frak not??? Reading the first half of the novel this movie was based off of, I was expecting graphic violence and gore galore (Considering the book is the most violent and controversial my brain has ever read) but the movie ended up delivering bad acting, horrible English dub (Death Note has seemed to be the only good edition I've ever seen), and awful character development. Apart from the book being dragged out at points, the character development was incredible in it. After being introduced to a character for one chapter, you'd feel for them by the end of it. But they did not deliver this too well in the movie adaption. And who can blame them? The book is like 500 pages and the movie is only 100 minutes long. It's hard for the writers make you feel for 40 different kids in a 100 minute script.

So along with that flaw in the movie, it has meaningless gore (Well so does the book but they delivered it in a badass way). In the movie, it's just cheesy and boring. I caught myself constantly checking just how much longer was left of the film. Now yes, I was watching a bootlegged copy on the internet but still, I was bored. And the acting? Ugh. I've seen Nicholas Cage do a better job! All of them were so dramatic and over the top that it was just a cheese ball fest! So yes, I was expecting more from this movie and no you are not missing out if you don't bother to see it. Now as for the novel? If you enjoy books the length of Harry Potter, then yes! Read the book! It's a fun story and actually came out BEFORE Hunger Games. So if you think this is a knockoff, you'd be wrong. But be warned! If you're going to read the book, make sure you have a strong stomach. It does get pretty visual. All in all, if you're looking for a flick to just laugh at with your friends, have at it. But do not take this movie seriously...