Kikujiro (Kikujirô No Natsu) (1999)

A boring Japanese film about a goofy kid and the weird guy who befriends him. They go in search of his mom, encountering what are supposed to be interesting characters along the way. Snoozefest.

Rating: F

Battle Royal (Batoru Rowaiaru) (2000)

I could see this Japanese import being remade in the US. Not sure if that's on the horizon. Hopefully they'll polish up the script, but keep the senseless violence. The movie's premise didn't make a lot of sense. Maybe you have to be Japanese to fully appreciate it. Come to think of it, The Hunger Games has similar themes.

Rating: C