Battle Royale was a shocking film that had a real impact on audiences when released in 2000, so it was inevitable that a sequel would be made. Unfortunately, this sequel is a bit of a yawn-fest.
This time a class of tough school kids are forced to go to war with Shuya Nanahara (survivor of the first film) and his gang ‘The Wild Seven’ who have declared war on all adults.
The first half of the film is essentially a remake with a few surprises thrown in such as new gadgets and a few new rules, but the kids die thick and fast and by the halfway point the film is so boring and talk heavy that I found myself skipping chapters.
The gore is far more abundant here but gore alone does not make a good film.
In the end the film is almost a political drama and is far too long at over 2 hours.
OVERALL SUMMARY
I’m sorry but I just can’t enjoy a film like this when people are actually living through similar circumstances. Films are supposed to provide audiences with a form of escapism, this film only further depresses.