I actually love Requiem, even though I totally get why a lot of people hate it. For me, there’s something weirdly beautiful about how chaotic and nonsensical it is. The government sending kids to fight terrorists while sabotaging them with rules like if your partner dies, you die feels intentionally ridiculous, almost like satire. Nothing about the war or the new “battle royale” setup is logical, and that’s kind of the point, it just becomes more meaningless the longer it goes on. I love how different it is from the first film while still keeping that same sense of awe and spectacle. Shuya talking about kids in Afghanistan smiling while war happens around them is probably my favourite scene kind of gave me this unexpected sense of hope that I don’t feel often in movies.
The action is hit or miss for me, I like the shaky, bloody, chaotic feel, but some of the gun fights drag on way too long and lose my interest, especially since I don’t find shootouts that engaging to begin with. I really liked the new cast maybe even more than the original genuinely felt like these characters had known each other for years and had a real bond. The political angle is super interesting too it feels like a clear reflection of post 9/11 and the dehumanisation of people under occupation, i honestly wished the film leaned more into that instead of pulling back though I get why, that might’ve made it even more divisive. The ending was really heartfelt for me, especially seeing Noriko again I honestly thought she was dead the way she’s barely in it or mentioned wished she had more presence in the movie, but overall, while it’s not better than the first I still think it’s a great sequel
I actually love Requiem, even though I totally get why a lot of people hate it. For me, there’s something weirdly beautiful about how chaotic and nonsensical it is. The government sending kids to fight terrorists while sabotaging them with rules like if your partner dies, you die feels intentionally ridiculous, almost like satire. Nothing about the war or the new “battle royale” setup is logical, and that’s kind of the point, it just becomes more meaningless the longer it goes on. I love how different it is from the first film while still keeping that same sense of awe and spectacle. Shuya talking about kids in Afghanistan smiling while war happens around them is probably my favourite scene kind of gave me this unexpected sense of hope that I don’t feel often in movies.
The action is hit or miss for me, I like the shaky, bloody, chaotic feel, but some of the gun fights drag on way too long and lose my interest, especially since I don’t find shootouts that engaging to begin with. I really liked the new cast maybe even more than the original genuinely felt like these characters had known each other for years and had a real bond. The political angle is super interesting too it feels like a clear reflection of post 9/11 and the dehumanisation of people under occupation, i honestly wished the film leaned more into that instead of pulling back though I get why, that might’ve made it even more divisive. The ending was really heartfelt for me, especially seeing Noriko again I honestly thought she was dead the way she’s barely in it or mentioned wished she had more presence in the movie, but overall, while it’s not better than the first I still think it’s a great sequel
