10 Famous Movies That Got Away With Half-Assed Plots

9. Battle Royale Never Explains What The Point Of The Tournament Is

This might have something to do with the source material of which Battle Royale was based upon, of course, but the movie makes very little attempt to outline some highly important narrative details - and of course, we don't really care all that much because this is a motion picture about 42 teenagers being shipped to an island and forced to battle to the death with an array of weapons. The premise of the movie is explained during the opening credits, but basically it's as follows: Because students are skipping school and are generally being bad, the government devise the "Battle Royale Act," whereupon one class of students from a random school are selected each year to go and battle to the death on an uninhabited island until only one survivor remains. This all takes place in a futuristic totalitarian Japan, by the way, which means that things like this are apparently commonplace. Or whatever. So here's the problem: the reason as to why this method would be used by the government to keep students in line is never really explained - at least, in the movie version it isn't (the original novel and manga are a little clearer on the fact, but the tournament is slightly different in those so it doesn't help to explain it here). Is it supposed to serve as a punishment? A prevention method? Because it doesn't really work as either. How does the Battle Royale act inspire kids to behave better when it's random and the kids don't seem to know about it? And yet nobody cares or takes any notice of these narrative aspects, because the premise is so downright delicious. "Battle to the death? I'm in!"