Diagonaldi Very well executed

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Blake Rivera If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

bubbasumo-294-65311 It's like the move wanted to say "America was bombed, but that's ok, cause they're bad anyways, terrorists aren't really bad they're just misunderstood", and with that line of logic everything those terrorists fight for is worth while too. We had legitimate reasons for bombing all the countries listed, several times, in this crap movie. With any luck this stupid overacted movie will fade into obscurity never to be seen again.

Leofwine_draca 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.

NeoCyberlaw 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)

SeriousJest 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