Battle Royale

The Japanese have slowly gained a sizable fan base for their recent trend of ultra-violent thrillers, and Battle Royale is partly to thank for that. The premise is simple. In response to unruly youth behaviour, the Japanese government pass the 'Battle Royale Act', in which a random class of children are transported to a remote island, given a weapon each and enough supplies to last them 3 days, and told that only one person will be allowed to rejoin society; they must kill each other until there is only one left. At times brutal and brilliant, but Kinji Fukasaku lets himself down with some weak characterisation, which leaves the whole thing feeling a bit soulless, the violence used as fun for the director rather than with any real purpose.

RATING: 6/10 - An enjoyable schoolchildren gore-fest that's not for the squeamish