Battle Royale II: [Requiem]

Review by Sean Lynch

Hollywood are renowned for milking an idea for all it's worth. American Pie to American Pie: Band Camp, Lethal Weapon to Lethal Weapon 4 and Police Academy to Police Academy 36: Hightower Gets A Vasectomy - all destroyed what were fantastic originals by pushing it one step to far. So forgive me for being a little wary as I prepared to view the follow up to the cult hit Japanese thriller Battle Royale.

On September 2002, masterful Battle Royale director Kinji Fukasaku held a press conference where he made two major announcements: He was dying of bone cancer, and, refusing to let that hold him back, he was going to direct Battle Royale II. Unfortunately, Kinji Fukasaku's condition deteriorated, and on December 21 he was hospitalized after completing just one scene, passing away in January of 2003. The reins of the production were handed over to his son Kenta Fukasaku (who wrote the screenplay for both BR movies).

Many have said that BR2 suffered under the leadership of Kenta Fukasaku as director, that it's no where near as good as the original. And, halfway through BR2, the thought swept through my mind as well. But what becomes apparent is that BR2 is a completely ddifferent film for the better. There is so much more on offer here than simply gore and fear, which the original used so well. There is more plot, more layered social critisisms, and a greater sense of comraddery between the students. It becomes a fantastic film in it's own right and thus not comparable to the original as they both are trying to express two completely mutually exclusive ideas.

It's three years after the events of the original Battle Royale, and Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist determined to bring down the government and the adults which sent him to the island. His terrorist group, Wild Seven, stages an attack that levels several buildings in Tokyo on Christmas Day, killing 8000 people - the epic opening scene a non-subtle reference to the 9/11 images which have burned themselves into our memories.

Exactly one year afterward, the government enacts the "New Century Terrorist Counter-Measure Alternative" program, a.k.a. the BRII act, and sends the forty-two students of Shikanotoride Junior High Class 3-B to hunt Nanahara and his cohorts down in their island stronghold. Shiori Kitano, the daughter of the late headmaster of Nanahara's Battle Royale, signs up for the program, to avenge her father. They must kill Nanahara in three days or die.

And that's the government's game - they're not going to dignify Nanahara's declaration by accepting his challenge - his "war on adults", by having their own soldiers wage war on Wild Seven. There's an evil poetry in having Wild Seven have to fight and kill the same kids whom they were trying to save through their cause.

It's a hard task to follow up a cult. You can't make it to similar to the original, however, if you can't stray to far from it's origins either (Case in point: Halloween III: Season of the Witch). Which is why BR2 seems to actually work brilliantly.

At first, it appears that BR2 is essentially heading in the same direction as the first (in fact the first 15 minutes are almost shot-for-shot identical). However, once the new rules are explained regarding the mission to kill Nanahara , the film takes an unseen twist and all of a sudden, you're not sure whether your still watching BR or Saving Private Ryan. And I recall about 40 minutes into the film thinking "Yeah, this might as well be a different movie altogether, I think we can safely say this is no good".

Sure, elements of the first remained, like the electronic collars which explode on demand. But, as became the trend with the film throughout, there was a twist. The new students now have to work in pairs, with their collars electronically linked so that if one of them is killed, the other dies as well. And as the film progresses, it's these advancements of the game which make BR2 a much more layered film.

The death toll doesn't become the films main focus this time, as much as is the survival rate (In Battle Royale - you are updated on "The number Dead", whereas BR2 informs you of "Number of Survivors"). Meaning that those who are there to see the gore will be dissapointed. Kenta is a much different director to his father, at times, the war scenes resembling a first person shooter game (with blood droplets hitting the camera lens regularly) giving the film a much more identifiable reality and a satire of teenage violence in todays society.

The end does tend to ruin all the hard work (one can't help but wonder if the film studio interfered and asked for an opening for a trilogy). 

All in all, this exactly what should have been delivered. A bigger budget, a greater sense of purpose, the film evolves and becomes grown up - reminisant of the transition Shuya Nanahara makes from BR to BR2.

It's not better, it's not worse, it's different. And that's it's strength.

EXTRAS

There is a second disc packed full of features! Press conferences, trailers, the lot. However, unless you speak Japanese or Korean, it's not much use to you as there is no English translation to be found anywhere. Which, in all honesty, is a bit of a shame.

Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras: 40%