The premise of Battle Royale is darkly appealing, and the movie improves on it by offering just enough character development and heroism to make it more than an "ultraviolent" film. It's even realistic, in a way. I think that the flat simplicity of many of the kids' reactions to this Kafkaesque situation is quite realistic. How else can these teens process life and death events except in terms of their relatively shallow teen experiences to date? Look, in the end, the good guy and gal survive, the bitter teacher buys it, and the authorities' game is thwarted. Not bad for a nihilistic exploitation film.