Battle Royale

Icepick said:I'm just finally getting around to meeting up with him today to drop off the movie. 😁 He's been swamped... pretty hard to track him down. 🙄 😛 😁

When am I gonna get my hands on it, Uncle Ajspik?

Honestly, what can I even say? That movie was absolutely stunning. It really hit home and just showed me how much more advanced the Japanese film industry is compared to ours back here in the States.

we monkeys are just lucky to be born...

Icepick said:I’m finally getting around to meeting up with my buddy to hand over the movie today. 😁 He’s been incredibly busy... pretty hard to pin him down. 🙄 😛 😁

I just got back from hanging out with a friend, so once I actually find a moment to myself, I'll sit down and watch the film. Don't worry, I'll reach out with my thoughts soon enough.🙂

The film is truly excellent. I particularly enjoyed Happy’s contribution in the footage; the way they explain the unfolding events is handled quite appropriately. 😁

The second one was just... boring.

The first one—classic Japanese noir vibes, really stylish 🙂 though it’s a bit unsettling that most of the cast are actually just kids. Makes me wonder how their parents even let them take roles in a film like this.

slyowl9 said:The second one was incredibly dull...

As for the first film, it’s got that classic Japanese aesthetic, though it definitely has its style. 🙂 It is actually quite unsettling that most of the cast are just kids. I honestly find myself wondering how their parents could allow them to act in something like this, especially given the nature of this particular movie.

😲 Wait, wait, wait—there's a first one AND a second one?? What actually happens in the first installment?? Is that opening sequence from the sequel actually the plot of the original? (I'm assuming the part I watched was actually the second one)

I suspect you might have missed the second installment...
Think of it this way—in the first game, a squad’s arsenal is all over the place, ranging from megaphones and frying pans to dynamite and poisons. But in the sequel, it’s just endless automatic weapons and similar gear—nothing particularly creative

slyowl9 said:It looks like you might have actually played the first installment...
Let’s put it this way: back in the first game, the gear you could pick up was all over the place—anything from megaphones and frying pans to dynamite and poison. In the sequel, it’s almost entirely just assault rifles and standard military hardware. It feels a bit one-dimensional, honestly.

I guess I did play the first one after all! You're right, some players end up with a handgun while others are stuck carrying a literal frying pan...
Then you have those players who take things way too seriously, camping the exits just waiting to ambush someone, while others act like they're playing in slow motion or barely even paying attention to the match.😁

velvetsailor23 said:I guess I really was just looking at the tutorial level!! It’s true—some people walk away with a gun while others just get a frying pan for a weapon...
Some players take this stuff way too seriously and just camp the exits to pick people off, while others act like they're moving through molasses. 😁

Fair enough 😁 then you definitely didn't miss much.

velvetsailor23 said:The movie is actually quite exceptional. I found the Happy Tree Friends clip particularly striking—the way they explain things so casually while everything falls apart is just spot on.😁

That particular scene is what really stuck with me... it was hauntingly beautiful. It felt almost like watching a cheery morning talk show host cheerfully walk you through the various ways you might die or kill someone else... truly masterfully done.

goldenhound32 said:That one specific scene is what really stuck with me... it was just gorgeous... almost like having some cheerful morning talk show host cheerfully explain exactly how you're going to die or go on a killing spree... it was just too good.

I mean, honestly, I watched this movie over a year and a half ago and most of it has already faded into a blur, but that particular moment? It's burned into my brain forever. 😁

Now THAT is what I call actual comedy.

That movie was such a masterpiece... I hear they're working on a remake, and I honestly fear the studio will completely ruin it... please, no remakes!!!

It is great that IBM is finally releasing the manga edition of Battle Royale (even if it is six years behind the rest of the world, this is still a win) — there are 8 volumes, I believe, priced at $18 each. I picked up the first volume and I am quite pleased; the character development in the manga is much more thorough than what we saw in the movie, though then again, there are just too many characters to develop properly within a two-hour runtime. Oh, and one thing: the comic is significantly more violent than the film.

Vepar said:Yeah, the comic is way more violent than the movie.

More violent than the movie?! Give me a break, people... does that manga even have anything smart to say? (And I mean that like the movie—is there actual substance here, or is all that gore just there for shock value?)

Also, does anyone happen to know the title of that song playing during the end credits of the first installment?

Watched it today... didn't really love it. It was okay, I guess. I get what they were doing with the whole "mimicking nature" vibe in that setting, but calling it some groundbreaking idea? Not really. There’s just no heart in it. Because the characters are so thin, I couldn't bring myself to actually care about what was happening.

All those "different tactics" for getting off the island—I suppose if you haven't spent much time studying evolution, that might seem clever (and it gives them an excuse to toss in some cheap philosophy), but for me, nothing there felt new. At least not when it comes to actual evolutionary stable strategies and selection processes.