Battle Royale: Limited Edition (2021)

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Review added by
Jitendar Canth

One Dead. 41 To Go.
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 274 mins
Retail Price: £69.99
Release Date: 2021
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
The kids of Third Year Class-B Shiroiwa Junior High School are back, in a brand new 4K restoration of the classic cult shocker adapted from the controversial novel by Koushun Takami.

Presenting an alternate dystopian vision of turn-of-the-millennium Japan, Battle Royale follows the 42 junior high school students selected to take part in the government’s annual Battle Royale programme, established as an extreme method of addressing concerns about juvenile delinquency. Dispatched to a remote island, they are each given individual weapons (ranging from Uzis and machetes to pan lids and binoculars), food and water, and the order to go out and kill one other.

Every player is fitted with an explosive collar around their neck, imposing a strict three-day time limit on the deadly games in which there can only be one survivor. Overseeing the carnage is ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine, Hana-bi, Zatoichi) as the teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges.

Playing like a turbo-charged hybrid of Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game, the final completed work by veteran yakuza film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Graveyard of Honor) helped launch a new wave of appreciation for Asian cinema in the 21st century.

Also included in the set is the incendiary sequel Battle Royale II, the directing debut of Kenta Fukasaku (after his father passed away during production), in which a new class of delinquents are recruited by the government to hunt down the survivor of the deadly games of the first film.

Special Features:
Original soundtrack CD for Battle Royale [Limited Edition Exclusive]
Kinji Fukasaku: Man of Rage, an exclusive 120-page monograph on the director by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes [Limited Edition Exclusive]
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new essays by Matt Alt and Anne Billson and archival articles
Exclusive Battle Royale collectors’ Trump Card set [Limited Edition Exclusive]
Reversible poster with new artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive]

DISC ONE – BATTLE ROYALE: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION

Brand new audio commentary by critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp
Battle Royale at 20: Back to School, an exclusive new 42-minute documentary about the legacy of Battle Royale
Bloody Education: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale, a brand new exclusive interview with the film’s producer and screenwriter
The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, documentary featuring footage from the shooting of the film and cast and crew discussions
The Slaughter of 42 High School Students, a look behind the scenes of the shoot
Behind the scenes footage with comments from the cast and crew
Filming on Set, a look at the shooting of key scenes from the film
Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic, archive footage of Masamichi Amano conducting the soundtrack rehearsal

DISC TWO – BATTLE ROYALE: SPECIAL EDITION DIRECTOR’S CUT

Shooting the Special Edition, on-location featurette with footage of the cast and crew reuniting for the shoot of the Special Edition
Royale Rehearsals, featurette on Kinji Fukasaku directing the film’s young cast
Masamichi Amano Conducts Battle Royale, archive featurette
Takeshi Kitano Interview, filmed on location with the Japanese star
The Correct Way to Fight in Battle Royale, instructional video explaining the rules of the game
The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku’s birthday
Premiere Press Conference, preceding the film’s first public screening
Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation, with footage from the gala screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival
Opening Day at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre, archive footage of the Japanese opening
Special Effects Comparison showing how the film’s violent killings were created
Original Trailers and TV spots
Kinji Fukasaku trailer reel, a collection of original trailers for Fukasaku’s classic yakuza films from the 70s
Image Gallery

DISC THREE – BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM

Bloody Graduation: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale II, an exclusive brand new interview with the director and screenwriter of Battle Royale II
Behind the Scenes of Battle Royale II, on-location featurette during the film’s shoot
Rehearsals footage of the auditions and pre-production rehearsals
War and Struggle, featurette of the cast discussing their thoughts on war
Alternate Piano Scene
The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Opening Gala with the Orchestra, featuring a public introduction by the director and main cast
Battle Royale II Premiere, a featurette on the film’s first screening at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre
Trailers and TV spots
Image Gallery

DISC FOUR – BATTLE ROYALE II: REVENGE [Limited Edition Exclusive]

A Tribute to Kinji Fukasaku, featuring scenes of Kinji Fukasaku on the location of Battle Royale II
Kinji Fukasaku's 73rd Birthday: A Speech by Kenta Fukasaku, paying public tribute to his father

DISC FIVE – BATTLE ROYALE SOUNDTRACK CD [Limited Edition Exclusive]

CD featuring the complete score to Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra