Finding this movie was fantastic. Having heard friends rave about the film I decided to buy it, and was not disappointed.

This is a fantastic movie; anyone who enjoyed Kill Bill and is not scared of subtitles will love it. The plot is relatively loose allowing for plenty of violence without it slowing down the narrative, in fact the constant death progresses the narrative as each death brings the viewer closer to the end of the Battle Royale.

I first came across Battle Royale hidden away in the back of our local video store, and up for something different I thought, “What the heck”. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.

This film is one of those gems that rises above the standard action norm to become a cult classic. Loved Kill Bill Volume 1? Well this is the film that influenced Quentin Tarantino's di­recting.

The gritty opening scenes create an atmosphere of chaos, which allows you to be immersed in the story of just how far the government is willing to go to keep Japan's youth “under control”. Every killing is a fight for survival, and the every day teenage concerns of crushes, cliques, and revenge seems to highlight the brutality of the situation that these kids are in.

Battle Royale has been compared with “Lord of the Flies” and “A Clockwork Orange”, however I think it's in a league of its own. I highly recommend this film for anyone interested in Asian cinema, or gritty action films.