Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 15, 2025

Lionsgate recently released The Long Walk 4K and our The Long Walk 4K Blu-ray review mentioned how "YA" author icon Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) insisted she had never read the Stephen King source novel The Long Walk is based on, despite the fact that that Collins' own work is, well, similar in many ways to King's work, which predated Collins' by some time. Somewhat hilariously if maybe just a bit unbelievably given the King situation, Collins has evidently also insisted she was not aware of Battle Royale before her own books came out, despite (once again) there being undeniable tethers between King, Battle Royale and Collins' own offerings. While the three stories share many aspects, there's probably little doubt that Kinji Fukasaku's effort is by far the most violent and hyperbolically gruesome, for better or worse.

Battle Royale has had several previous releases in both 1080 and 4K in various global regions. Martin Liebman's Battle Royale Blu-ray review covers a 1080 release from Starz / Anchor Bay from 2012. An even earlier release in Region B from Arrow was reviewed by Svet Atanasov. Arrow also put out its own Battle Royale 4K release a couple of years ago (Arrow did not send a review copy so it has not been covered).

Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 discs in this package.

Battle Royale is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Film's Lionsgate Limited etailer with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. I'm assuming this was based off the same master that Arrow used, which was reportedly culled from the original camera negative and which was overseen and approved by Kenta Fukasaku. The film's intentionally unreal at times looking palette gets some emphasis from the HDR / Dolby Vision grades, though rather subtly at times. Many of the scenes featuring the kids in their khaki colored uniforms have a noticeable khaki undertone themselves in the 4K version which isn't as noticeable in the 1080 outing. In fact I'd rate a lot of this transfer, especially some of the outdoor material, as being noticeably more skewed (if slightly) toward the green-blue end of the spectrum when compared to the old Starz / Anchor Bay disc. Some of the evocative blue gradings used in the latter part of the film in particular attain a slightly purplish hue in this version. Some of the flashback material, including basketball game scenes, offer some of the most dramatic pops of primaries in the entire film, especially reds. Speaking of reds, the ubiquity of blood offers a somewhat more brown-crimson tone in this version. Detail levels are generally excellent throughout, and some of the gore effects are positively disquieting. Some of the kind of odd stylistic choices, like the overly bright and almost contrast free coda at the very end of the film frankly don't look materially different in this version when compared to the 1080 version. Grain can be quite heavy at times, but resolves rather tightly in a lot of the more brightly lit outdoor scenes. My score is 4.25.

Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Battle Royale features Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks in either Japanese or English for the Director's Cut, and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in Japanese only for the Theatrical Cut. Fans may feel this is a slight misstep by Lionsgate, since the old Starz / Anchor Bay 1080 release had a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 option in Japanese for the Director's Cut. This perception may only be magnified due to the fact that the 1080 discs in this package sport only lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in the various languages. One way or the other, the 5.1 tracks on the 4K UHD discs do provide consistent and noticeable immersion, with the whirlwind of increasing chaos as the carnage unfolds offering some involving directionality and at times really well done discrete channelization of ambient environmental effects in particular. Sprays of gunfire offer both panning and bursts of LFE, sometimes simultaneously. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: This a four disc set, with two 4K UHD discs and two 1080 discs offering either the Director's Cut or the Theatrical Cut. Supplements are the same on either resolution. More information on the ported over supplements is available in Marty's review, linked to above. Somewhat hilariously, someone didn't proofread the supplements menu choices very carefully (or at least carefully enough), and Quentin Tarantino's name is misspelled.

Disc One

• Director's Cut (2:01:12)


• Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale (HD; 21:20) is an engaging interview with the director's son.


• Battle Royale: The Ripples of Violence (HD; 15:45) offers a number of talking heads discussing the film's legacy.


• Legacy Special Features

The Making of Battle Royale (HD; 50:24)




Battle Royale Press Conference (HD; 12:03)




Instructional Video: Birthday Version (HD; 3:04)




Audition & Rehearsal Footage (HD; 7:12)




Special Effects Comparison Featurette (HD; 4:17)

Disc Two

• Theatrical Cut (1:53:08)


• Tokyo International Film Festival 2000 (HD; 4:27)


• Battle Royale Documentary (HD; 12:10)


• Basketball Scene Rehearsals (HD; 8:40)


• Behind the Scenes Featurette (HD; 10:10)


• Filming On Set (HD; 11:01)


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:50)


• Special Edition TV Spot (HD; 00:32)


• TV Spot: Taratino Version (HD; 00:32)

The SteelBook offers a golden background stained with slashes of blood, along with depictions of many focal characters on both the front and rear panels. The interior panels offer an illustration of a beach with superimposed eyes at the bottom and two would be escapees on the right. A mylar O ring offers the film's logo on the front and credits and a synopsis on the rear. A digital copy is also included.

Battle Royale 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Of the three semi-linked properties mentioned above, I'd frankly rate Battle Royale as my least favorite, but I know many (many) people who prefer it to either The Hunger Games or The Long Walk. This new edition from Lionsgate offers generally solid technical merits and some appealing supplements, along with SteelBook packaging that should appeal to collectors.