Better Late Then Never

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

As a sequel to BATTLE ROYALE, the blockbuster smash-hit that stands as one of the finest Japanese movies of recent years, BATTLE ROYALE II had little chance of recapturing that film's magic. It doesn't. The troubled production didn't help, with director Kinji Fukasaku dying after a single day's shooting, leaving the remainder of the job to be completed by his son Kenta. The good news is that BATTLE ROYALE II doesn't go down the traditional route of copying the first film's formula; instead, this breaks new ground entirely, as a new class of troublesome schoolkids are tasked with attacking Shuya Nanahara's island fortress and killing him.Yes, there are problems here. The running time is overlong and the film misses Fukasaku's inspired direction; this looks and feels more like a routine movie without the magic. Not many of the characters are sympathetic, other than those already established in the first movie. In addition, there are quite a lot of lousy CGI effects used to simulate the blood which just don't cut the mustard in terms of today's effects technology. Overlook these issues and you have a pretty good movie that asks intriguing questions about the nature of warfare, justice and humanity, as well as providing fitful bursts of action along the way.The first half of the film is actually the best. There's a reprise of the teacher-student scene from the first movie, with Takeshi replaced by a new, even more insane guy who pops pills like no tomorrow, and one incredibly gruesome moment involving the infamous explosive collars. Then the film becomes, somewhat surprisingly, a war movie, heavily riffing on SAVING PRIVATE RYAN as we watch the inexperienced schoolkids attempting to storm the terrorist's island and getting blown up and shot along the way. The second half is much more slower, full of dialogue and philosophy, but that doesn't stop the climax from being pretty exciting: we follow the dwindling survivors in a ferocious gun-battle with enemy soldiers, watching as they're picked off one by one before the ending (and a twist epilogue, of course).The acting's pretty good, with Tatsuya Fujiwara taking the honours as usual: he's made a credible transformation from innocent student to terrorist leader in this one, and we're behind him all the way. The film is enlivened with plenty of over-the-top performances, and the climatic rugby-ball sequence is hilarious in the extreme. Not a great film by any means, instead a solidly enjoyable one.

I made the mistake of listening to the low rating reviews and put this movie off. I will never make that mistake of taking someone elses word over my own. Those who watch BR1 and then came to see BR2 were disappointed because they wanted to see the same movie twice. Why does BR1 need to be repeated in a sequel? Just watch the first one if you want to see the same thing again. BR1 had a message and BR2 stays on that same track with it's message. It's about the children that grow up living in a war they never started. Children that become victims because of the cold actions of adults. This is a movie that's exaggerated but the message is real. This is loosely based around 9- 11 and America going into Afghanistan and the cause,effect, and burden people have to carry because of their actions. When you think about the messages in this movie it's true. War does steal the smiles of children. I think this movie went over a lot of peoples heads because you either saw a war flick, a rant about USA, or a movie that wasn't battle royal.

It's on my mind the most brilliant representative of films, in which awesome first part and the second did not have to do it at all than make such a mess. Discouragement from the first to the last seconds. I am very sorry for my time spent Started watching eagerly second part immediately after watching the first, it is really a blow to all counts. From the very beginning the film is very tedious, but still there is hope that the story will begin to develop yet somehow. By the middle there is a great desire to turn off this stuff and never to forget about it. Sorry for the spelling, but you need to warn people about what it is not worthy to steal their precious time (which is priceless)

It's as if this movie was written by a child: a plot by the World's adults to get the World's kids to kill each other; the ease with which anybody can pick up an assault rifle with a grenade-launcher attachment and instantly know how to operate it like a trained pro; the melodramatic speeches against The Man; and the awkward romantic moments inappropriately scattered throughout non-stop violent war. The action is consistent, though, and Fujiwara does a great job of playing a very different role, now that his character has done a 180 after years on the run with insurgents. Still, unless you're a child, or the novelty of 9th-graders murdering each other is enough to get you geeked about this flick--and then you've got other issues, freak--hold off until the next installment of The Hunger Games.For more reviews and a kickass podcast, check out: www.livemancave.com