BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL (3 outta 5 stars) Okay, this is a low budget movie... they didn't have a lot of money to spend on big action scenes (or realistic-looking gore)... but, dang, it was still a lot of fun! How can you not love a movie about a high school baseball team that has to fight an evil team that slaughters everyone they play against... and takes time out for a few musical ballads along the way? I'm not generally a fan of these "funny" Asian action movies... I prefer the more serious ones... but this movie was too outrageous for me not to enjoy. A sullen young teen who has sworn off baseball due to a childhood tragedy is the only one who can help Seido High defeat the ultra-violent psychos... but come game time he is locked away in a prison cell... will he get out in time? Don't worry about the movie making too much sense... it doesn't... but I loved the team of bad guys, particularly the head coach who is one of the coolest looking villains ever. He looks something like Jim Carrey in "The Mask"... but dressed like Marlon Brando in "The Missouri Breaks". The extremely round-eyed Bancho that we meet at the start of the movie is pretty funny, too. The movie plays out like a feature length Monty Python sketch... so if absurdity is not your thing you should probably see something else.
29 Reviews
A modern Japanese "Bad Taste"?
scobbah13 October 2005
Seeing this piece was definitely something I did on impulse. In my humble opinion low budget Japanese movies tend to be quite interesting and original, sometimes containing really odd ideas for the story and scenery. I suppose "Jigoku kôshien" never had any element that I really found interesting when first reading about the film, but now I've seen it and I was quite in a split when trying to draw a conclusion. The film do have a few really good moments where I was having a big smile and a bit of a laugh but as another other user here at the IMDb boards wrote, quoting "low budget ultimately hurts it too much" - something I'd definitely back up. But if you are into Japanese movies and are just looking for some good time-killing, perhaps this one would do the trick.
Army of Darkness meets Excel Saga
furex1 May 2008
Or is it the other way round? ^^ Anyway, with cheesy SFX, over-the-top acting, and absolutely nonsensical jokes, Battlefield Baseball comes out as one hilarious film that doesn't take itself seriously for nary a minute - mixing some neat AoD tricks with the kind of Japanese humor, which is pretty typical of manga and anime.
I haven't had the pleasure to read the original manga, but the closest comparison I can call, considering all the lampooning going on here, is the anime version of Excel Saga (which incidentally has an episode about baseball heroes - make sure you watch that if you haven't yet!) The movie is quite successful in what it was trying to do (and probably one the few that manages to pull it off): it's guaranteed to make you laugh - provided you like the styles of the source material. And Tak Sakaguchi is simply great as the archetypal anti-hero a.k.a. the bad 'student with long hair and a dirty uniform'.
Two thumbs up!
I haven't had the pleasure to read the original manga, but the closest comparison I can call, considering all the lampooning going on here, is the anime version of Excel Saga (which incidentally has an episode about baseball heroes - make sure you watch that if you haven't yet!) The movie is quite successful in what it was trying to do (and probably one the few that manages to pull it off): it's guaranteed to make you laugh - provided you like the styles of the source material. And Tak Sakaguchi is simply great as the archetypal anti-hero a.k.a. the bad 'student with long hair and a dirty uniform'.
Two thumbs up!
Absurd but hilarious
macgruder16 March 2004
I watched this movie not knowing much about it, but after watching it, I can truly say this is one of the most absurd movies I have ever seen. The Japanese love to mix genres, and with this one it is comedy, action, zombie film and musical all rolled into one big laugh fest. The wackiness starts off with a baseball team trying to make it to the finals but facing their first opponents the Gedo team, which consists of zombie/demons kills almost the entire team.
A rogue ex-player joins the high school and is recruited to the failed team in hopes that they can defeat them. The recruitment leads to the films first of 3 (that I can remember) comedic musical numbers giving background information on the characters.
The wide array of characters blends well for the film, and lends to the ridiculous scenes with the team facing off against the Gedo zombie team, who have their own rules for baseball, which doesnt even contain the actual game of baseball, but just attacking the other team attempting to kill them all. A movie that has to be seen to be believed. Theres no way this strange humor would work in America, so if you like off the wall comedies, try to get a copy of this movie and see for yourself.
A rogue ex-player joins the high school and is recruited to the failed team in hopes that they can defeat them. The recruitment leads to the films first of 3 (that I can remember) comedic musical numbers giving background information on the characters.
The wide array of characters blends well for the film, and lends to the ridiculous scenes with the team facing off against the Gedo zombie team, who have their own rules for baseball, which doesnt even contain the actual game of baseball, but just attacking the other team attempting to kill them all. A movie that has to be seen to be believed. Theres no way this strange humor would work in America, so if you like off the wall comedies, try to get a copy of this movie and see for yourself.
Interesting, but low budget ultimately hurts it too much
simon_booth11 March 2004
From the star and assistant director of personal favourite VERSUS comes what may best be described as SHAOLIN SOCCER as seen through the eyes of the Takashi Miike that made HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS. i.e. one of the strangest, campest and most ridiculous films the world has ever seen.
Tak Sakaguchi plays "Jubei Baseball", a student with extraodinary baseball talent that has sworn off the sport because of... something that happened earlier. He moves to a new school where the principal has but one dream, baseball victory... which he believes he is about to achieve until he discovers his opponents are a team of zombies renowned for not leaving their opponents alive at the end of a game. Can Jubei be persuaded to join the team and help them achieve victory?
Battlefield Baseball is based on a manga, and it shows - the styling of the film is extremely comic-book like, coupled with bizarre soap opera styled melodrama. Unfortunately, the film suffers from an extremely low budget that robs it of most of the coolness that it could have had - and it shows that Ryuhei Kitamura was the real talent behind making VERSUS go so far beyond its budget, not his AD. The acting in the film is outright appalling, but this was probably at least partially deliberate - the extreme overacting and mugging is almost appropriate to the absurdity of the whole film, but isn't carried off with the kind of class or style that could have made it work better.
BB is undoubtedly a fun film, with some of the most unusual lines and events you will see - but it's ultimately too trashy even to get the "cult classic" label (and mainstream classic was never on the cards) - but it is an interesting curio, and Yudai Yamaguchi is definitely tagged for further observation.
6/10
Tak Sakaguchi plays "Jubei Baseball", a student with extraodinary baseball talent that has sworn off the sport because of... something that happened earlier. He moves to a new school where the principal has but one dream, baseball victory... which he believes he is about to achieve until he discovers his opponents are a team of zombies renowned for not leaving their opponents alive at the end of a game. Can Jubei be persuaded to join the team and help them achieve victory?
Battlefield Baseball is based on a manga, and it shows - the styling of the film is extremely comic-book like, coupled with bizarre soap opera styled melodrama. Unfortunately, the film suffers from an extremely low budget that robs it of most of the coolness that it could have had - and it shows that Ryuhei Kitamura was the real talent behind making VERSUS go so far beyond its budget, not his AD. The acting in the film is outright appalling, but this was probably at least partially deliberate - the extreme overacting and mugging is almost appropriate to the absurdity of the whole film, but isn't carried off with the kind of class or style that could have made it work better.
BB is undoubtedly a fun film, with some of the most unusual lines and events you will see - but it's ultimately too trashy even to get the "cult classic" label (and mainstream classic was never on the cards) - but it is an interesting curio, and Yudai Yamaguchi is definitely tagged for further observation.
6/10
So much promise, so much disappointment
JohnSeal30 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I love zombie movies, and I love baseball (and baseball movies, too). So the stars seemed to have aligned when I learned of Battlefield Baseball. Sadly, the film leaves much to be desired.There's little in the way of zombie mayhem--most of the action, incredibly, happens off screen--and even less baseball. The screenplay commits a serious error by declaring, via the field umpire, that the rules of Battlefield Baseball are "there are no rules". As a result, this 'baseball' game consists of little more than a few fist fights with some poor special effects thrown in for good measure.
There are a few amusing moments: Jubei's flashback to his father's death, for example, involves the most obscenely large catcher's mitt ever seen, but by and large, this is a poor tribute to the films of Takashi Miike.
There are a few amusing moments: Jubei's flashback to his father's death, for example, involves the most obscenely large catcher's mitt ever seen, but by and large, this is a poor tribute to the films of Takashi Miike.
Absolute Insanity, You Can't Help But Like It!!
Movie-Misfit30 May 2020
From director Yudia Yamaguchi, the same mind behind the insane Meatball Machine, Yakuza Weapon, and equally insane, Chromartie High The Movie, comes something like you've never seen before. The over-rated, but likeable Tak Sakaguchi stars in this insane, wacky and totally messed up adaptation of a popular manga, where schools (of adults) face each other in deadly games of baseball. With exploding balls, brutal weapons, and opponents that are zombies, the film starts the insanity from the get-go and doesn't let up for its full running time!
Remade in 2011 as Deadball, with Tak back in the same role, this low-budget insanity is filled with ridiculously bad dialogue, over-the-top acting, silly fight scenes, and wild FX that go from looking great to looking so bad its funny. Produced by Versus director, Ryuhei Kitamura, of which Tak was first introduced to the world, Battlefield Baseball offers musical numbers, violence, martial arts, daft plot twists, and insane characters. Its as if Kitamura told Chow Sing Chi, Wong Jing and Jeff Lau that there was a $1000 budget, and to give him some ideas for a sports themed film. Its just plain mental. But alas, I have seen some pages from the original manga, and to be honest, its even more insane.
There's just far too much going on to try and put into words, but I can't deny that it is a lot of fun, incredibly silly, but highly entertaining for the most of its running time!
Not to be taken seriously by any means...
Overall: It makes Shaolin Soccer seem almost like a serious drama. Has to be seen to be believed!
Remade in 2011 as Deadball, with Tak back in the same role, this low-budget insanity is filled with ridiculously bad dialogue, over-the-top acting, silly fight scenes, and wild FX that go from looking great to looking so bad its funny. Produced by Versus director, Ryuhei Kitamura, of which Tak was first introduced to the world, Battlefield Baseball offers musical numbers, violence, martial arts, daft plot twists, and insane characters. Its as if Kitamura told Chow Sing Chi, Wong Jing and Jeff Lau that there was a $1000 budget, and to give him some ideas for a sports themed film. Its just plain mental. But alas, I have seen some pages from the original manga, and to be honest, its even more insane.
There's just far too much going on to try and put into words, but I can't deny that it is a lot of fun, incredibly silly, but highly entertaining for the most of its running time!
Not to be taken seriously by any means...
Overall: It makes Shaolin Soccer seem almost like a serious drama. Has to be seen to be believed!
Arguably a mixed bag, but likely to develop a sizable cult following
BrianThibodeau25 August 2004
BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL (2004) This low-budget baseball zombie comedy is arguably a mixed bag, but one likely to develop a sizable cult following. While it successfully pokes fun at the cliches inherent in most sports movies, particularly those `moments' where people spontaneously applaud the main characters actions (similarly mocked in NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE), it doesn't deliver on the action and gore quotient promised by the concept. And yet, as a budget-conscious live-action adaptation of a Shonen Jump manga, it plants tongue hard in cheek and certainly feels faithful to the source material, never for a minute taking itself seriously and gleefully indulging in the most eye-rollingly obvious visual gags. Desperate to make it to the big leagues, the Seido High School baseball team must face their much more successful rivals at Gedo High, a team made up entirely of well-armed zombies. Their ace in the hole may well be transfer student `Jubeh The Baseball' (Tak Sakaguchi), who's signature fastball killed his own father, a tragedy which prevents him from helping the team. Directed by the writer of VERSUS (Yudai Yamiguchi), produced by that film's director (Ryuhei Kitamura) and starring that film's lead (Tak Sakaguchi), BATTLEFIELD shares that film's low-budget ingenuity, but wisely knows when to take up stakes and call it a day around the 90 minute mark. The Japanese R2 DVD has English subs and includes a hilariously inventive short film called Ramen Baka Ichidai, about a kid who hunts down the perfect Ramen noodles for his dying grandfather. Primo stuff.
A bizarre adaptation of a crazy Japanese manga.
Captain_Couth10 August 2005
Battlefield Baseball (2003) is a fine adaptation of a Japanese manga comic. The movie is very close to the original source. It's filled with cheesy sentiment, cartoon violence, music and over exaggerated slapstick humor. A high school baseball team's manager wants to take his team to the next level. But he's been plagued by a re-occurring nightmare. A team of zombie players has crushed and killed his team in brutal fashion. One day his worse fears come true when he looks into the paper and finds his team playing against the undead brutal team from Gedo. The manage and school officials know that the team doesn't stand a chance against this team. Unless he can convince the new transfer student to play for his school's baseball team. Will the new kid play for the team? Do they have a chance against the undead ball team? Find out when you watch Battlefield Baseball!!
Not a classic film but it's highly entertaining. It's a total manga film so be prepared for cheesy melodrama, exaggerated violence, adult humor and musical numbers!!
Highly recommended.
Not a classic film but it's highly entertaining. It's a total manga film so be prepared for cheesy melodrama, exaggerated violence, adult humor and musical numbers!!
Highly recommended.
Sounds cool, but sucks...don't waste your time
psychocrow10 May 2004
I got this movie because i loved Battle Royale and was looking for similar stuff - but this movie is not the crazy japanese hack n' slay genre that i was expecting. I thought about zombies playing baseball, but they never really play baseball in this movie. In the "showdown game" (no, it isn't a showdown at all) they just start fighting and that's it. There are no "special effects" - everything looks like glue and ketchup. The bad guys are not ugly, funny or stupid at all, and neither are the heros. But the worst thing of the movie is the absolutely stupid story that keeps you waiting for something that never happens (Inculding absolutely awful singing parts - like in a Disney Movie - Oh my God) Don't waste your time with this movie - that's my conclusion. A real 1!
OMG
biernathjohn14 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Low budget sick twisted insane joke that made me roll on the floor laughing. Crappiest script ever. Cheapest shots ever. Cheesiest character ever. If you thought Shaolin Soccer was wicked and funny, you've gotta see this one - some ideas are just so stupid that you can't believe, for example when this Head Teacher guy was killed while fighting against Evil Godo Team, he comes back from the dead after a while wearing some stupid metal stuff, and the dialogue goes like this:
This is how this movie goes. I totally loved it. If I could change things in this movie, I don't think I could make it more abstract and absurd than it is now...
10/10
- Head Teacher! You're alive!
- Yes! I've returned as a cyborg, thanks to advanced technology!
This is how this movie goes. I totally loved it. If I could change things in this movie, I don't think I could make it more abstract and absurd than it is now...
10/10
Done right, this could have been my new favorite movie.
FeverDog10 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I love horror movies, foreign films and baseball. So when I came across BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL at my rental store, I was elated. A Japanese zombie baseball flick? Excellent!
Or so I thought. For a horror movie, there's disappointingly little gore. For a foreign film, little insight into its land of origin. And why does a movie with "baseball" in its title have virtually no baseball action in it? (The "battle" mostly uses bats, while the "field" is in dire need of a grounds-keeper.) Is it wrong to complain about what a movie should have been, instead of what it is? I was curious to see the myriad ways one could defeat the undead on a baseball field generally within the games rules: Anticipating a line drive decapitating the pitcher, or a base-runner sliding into second with razors on his cleats, eviscerating a middle infielder while breaking up a double play.
But there's nothing like that here. There's also little sense of the game how it's played and revered in Japan, and the tiny differences I did notice I'm not sure I believe. Do they really employ cheerleaders? (Outside of the Florida Marlins, who should be ashamed of themselves, that's unheard of here in the States.) Do their umps really use whistles? Do they really score points instead of runs?
Apart from the lack of actual baseball and blood & guts, the movie offers little to recommend it otherwise. There are a few small, funny moments, but most of the movie is shot through a sickly pea-green filter, the characters substitute nuance for monotonous yelling (just like DAY OF THE DEAD, the most disappointing American zombie movie I've seen), the zombie makeup is embarrassingly bad (they've got more pancake than IHOP), and, for some reason, the lead ghoul is dressed in vaguely Old-West fashion, resembling the elderly zombie from HOUSE II (*not* a movie one should be reminded of).
And the humans keep coming back to life. Why care about what happens if there's no doubt everyone will be around at the end?
Oh well, burned again on another bad baseball flick. Hope BALL OF WAX, when I get around to buying it (my store doesn't have it to rent), is at least watchable - a low-expectation descriptive that certainly does not apply to BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL.
Or so I thought. For a horror movie, there's disappointingly little gore. For a foreign film, little insight into its land of origin. And why does a movie with "baseball" in its title have virtually no baseball action in it? (The "battle" mostly uses bats, while the "field" is in dire need of a grounds-keeper.) Is it wrong to complain about what a movie should have been, instead of what it is? I was curious to see the myriad ways one could defeat the undead on a baseball field generally within the games rules: Anticipating a line drive decapitating the pitcher, or a base-runner sliding into second with razors on his cleats, eviscerating a middle infielder while breaking up a double play.
But there's nothing like that here. There's also little sense of the game how it's played and revered in Japan, and the tiny differences I did notice I'm not sure I believe. Do they really employ cheerleaders? (Outside of the Florida Marlins, who should be ashamed of themselves, that's unheard of here in the States.) Do their umps really use whistles? Do they really score points instead of runs?
Apart from the lack of actual baseball and blood & guts, the movie offers little to recommend it otherwise. There are a few small, funny moments, but most of the movie is shot through a sickly pea-green filter, the characters substitute nuance for monotonous yelling (just like DAY OF THE DEAD, the most disappointing American zombie movie I've seen), the zombie makeup is embarrassingly bad (they've got more pancake than IHOP), and, for some reason, the lead ghoul is dressed in vaguely Old-West fashion, resembling the elderly zombie from HOUSE II (*not* a movie one should be reminded of).
And the humans keep coming back to life. Why care about what happens if there's no doubt everyone will be around at the end?
Oh well, burned again on another bad baseball flick. Hope BALL OF WAX, when I get around to buying it (my store doesn't have it to rent), is at least watchable - a low-expectation descriptive that certainly does not apply to BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL.
Strike three, you're out!
ChaosEngine10 February 2005
I don't even know where to start with this one. I know I had expected to at least like it a little bit as it has a tie in with Battle Royale and Jubeh is played by the star of Ultimate Versus, I loved both movies. This however is simply horrendous, the parts that were supposed to be funny didn't even generate a smile, the fighting was almost non-existent and the yelling, oh yes, the YELLING! If you like movies where almost every second line is yelled at the top of someone's lungs this movie is right up your alley. Someone else mentioned that there is never actually a baseball game and that's true, but we do see a baseball and bat a couple of times and they do wear uniforms (I had to write something good to justify my rating of 2 rather than 1) I could go on but then this would become as tedious as the movie itself, avoid this one.
Battlefield Earth was better
Zorknot11 September 2005
some movies can take a super low budget and make something great with it. This isn't one of them.
This is the worst I've seen of the recent glut of crappy martial arts spoofs. I was expecting Shaolin Soccer which, while not being perfect, was greatly entertaining. This was utter crap.
I get the feeling they created the plot for this with a couple hundred posted notes and a collection of darts.
the special effects were probably made by a team of fourth graders The jokes were groan worthy
It was a parody, but even so, the characters were so clichéd it wasn't funny.
There were some neat ideas in this and some mildly zany "death" scenes but overall the best thing about this movie was the ending, because it was finally over.
This is the worst I've seen of the recent glut of crappy martial arts spoofs. I was expecting Shaolin Soccer which, while not being perfect, was greatly entertaining. This was utter crap.
I get the feeling they created the plot for this with a couple hundred posted notes and a collection of darts.
the special effects were probably made by a team of fourth graders The jokes were groan worthy
It was a parody, but even so, the characters were so clichéd it wasn't funny.
There were some neat ideas in this and some mildly zany "death" scenes but overall the best thing about this movie was the ending, because it was finally over.
If Monty Python made a movie in Japan...
dalldorfw2 March 2008
...it would probably look a lot like this; because like Monty Pythion, this movie deliberately goes out of its way to be as ridicules as possible. The story involves a high school baseball team, who's opponents happen to be a vicious gang of superhuman, green-faced monsters; the monster team enjoys horribly mutilating the players on the opposing team (sorry to disappoint you sports fans, but there is very little baseball is actually played). Anyhow, the high school's last hope is to try and recruit a new student with incredibly powerful baseball skills; unfortunately he has vowed never to play baseball again, after one of his pitches ends up killing his father; are you following this so far? There's a bit more to the story then that, but its not that important, sense the whole movie is really just an excuse to show us some of the most insane gags ever brought to the screen. Recommended for those with a abnormal sense of humor.
wow, what an utter disappointment
generac22 June 2004
I had such high hopes for this movie, as I first heard of it recently after seeing some great movies that this one tried to emulate, like shaolin soccer and god of cookery. However as much as I wanted to enjoy viewing this movie, I ended up hating every single minute of it. It uses every stupid hackneyed plot device and character type in the history of stupid movies, and doesn't pull off a single element convincingly, and was completely devoid of entertainment. The producers probably wanted to do a movie like shaolin soccer, except they refused to pay a single yen more than the cost of the materials this abomination was shot on. There is absolutely nothing good I can say about this movie. Not a single, solitary gag hit it's mark. I have never seen such a thoroughly unfunny movie attempt so many bad gags. If there ever was a movie deserving of the score of 0, this would be it.
Fun
AwesomeWolf3 January 2005
Ever wanted to see an action / comedy / musical about baseball playing zombies? Don't lie, you know you do.
Jubei Yakyû (Tak Sakaguchi) is a poor student, transferred from school to school. He is a great baseball player, but he won't allow himself to play, that is until his new school, Seido High has to face the Gedo High School team, a team of baseball-playing zombies, whose stadium is apparently not to subject to any laws. Awesome.
'Battlefield Baseball' is nothing but 90 minutes of insanity: packed with fights, deadly baseball matches, all sorts of strange characters, musical numbers, crazy dialog, the most convenient and bizarre plot twists, and all-round awesomeness, 'Battlefield Baseball' is one bizarre, but very funny movie.
Don't watch 'Battlefield Baseball' with any expectations, and don't take it seriously at all, and you should enjoy it. Especially if you like awesomeness - 8/10
Jubei Yakyû (Tak Sakaguchi) is a poor student, transferred from school to school. He is a great baseball player, but he won't allow himself to play, that is until his new school, Seido High has to face the Gedo High School team, a team of baseball-playing zombies, whose stadium is apparently not to subject to any laws. Awesome.
'Battlefield Baseball' is nothing but 90 minutes of insanity: packed with fights, deadly baseball matches, all sorts of strange characters, musical numbers, crazy dialog, the most convenient and bizarre plot twists, and all-round awesomeness, 'Battlefield Baseball' is one bizarre, but very funny movie.
Don't watch 'Battlefield Baseball' with any expectations, and don't take it seriously at all, and you should enjoy it. Especially if you like awesomeness - 8/10
Better baseball
BandSAboutMovies25 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Jigoku Koshien means Hell Koshien or as we refer to this movie in America, Battlefield Baseball. It's based on the manga by Gataro Man, who also wrote this movie, and it tells the story of Seido High School and their baseball team, which finally has a chance to play in the Koshien Stadium Tournament for the first time in decades.
The only problem is that the Gedo High School stands in their way and their team doesn't leave the field until they kill everyone on the other side.
The story revolves around Jubeh, a pitcher so dangerous that he killed his father while playing catch and therefore has vowed to never play baseball again. But when he's killed by an explosion cause by the Gedo team, he goes to Heaven, meets his father and gets the inspiration to come back to Earth and play high school baseball.
Yudai Yamaguchi would go on to direct plenty other strange movies like Meatball Machine and this film's spiritual sequel, Deadball, which continues the story of Jubeh Yakyu.
Let me say it now once and for all: baseball would be so much better with cyborgs, senseless violence and people being brought back by the tears of a juvenille delinquent.
The only problem is that the Gedo High School stands in their way and their team doesn't leave the field until they kill everyone on the other side.
The story revolves around Jubeh, a pitcher so dangerous that he killed his father while playing catch and therefore has vowed to never play baseball again. But when he's killed by an explosion cause by the Gedo team, he goes to Heaven, meets his father and gets the inspiration to come back to Earth and play high school baseball.
Yudai Yamaguchi would go on to direct plenty other strange movies like Meatball Machine and this film's spiritual sequel, Deadball, which continues the story of Jubeh Yakyu.
Let me say it now once and for all: baseball would be so much better with cyborgs, senseless violence and people being brought back by the tears of a juvenille delinquent.
To weird to watch, to rare to miss
DaShAg14 March 2010
OK let me get this out of the way first. Before watching this movie I thought it was going to be something like Shoalin Soccer but then with baseball. It has some similarities yet it's a very different movie. It's less action oriented and much more goofy. Ridiculous songs, characters straight out of a manga and a story of a 5 year old. I was left disappointed because I totally dig the idea of baseball with kung-fu moves.
It is very hard to describe this movie but I'll try and explain why it's so goofy. Everyone who dies in this movie comes back. One guy even comes back as a cyborg, because of "advanced technology" haha. There are like 2 or 3 songs in this movie and they have the most ridiculous lyrics. Then you have this guy who is something like a legend because he has the best pitch ever. A super tornado pitch or something like that. Now this is exactly why I was left disappointed because I was waiting for him to kill 1 or 2 bad guys with his super pitch but you never get to see it, only in his memories.
It has it's funny moments but it's so damn goofy that you're sometimes scratching your head and wondering what the hell your watching.
Don't expect shoalin soccer with baseball, but if your into Japanese goofiness then don't miss it.
It is very hard to describe this movie but I'll try and explain why it's so goofy. Everyone who dies in this movie comes back. One guy even comes back as a cyborg, because of "advanced technology" haha. There are like 2 or 3 songs in this movie and they have the most ridiculous lyrics. Then you have this guy who is something like a legend because he has the best pitch ever. A super tornado pitch or something like that. Now this is exactly why I was left disappointed because I was waiting for him to kill 1 or 2 bad guys with his super pitch but you never get to see it, only in his memories.
It has it's funny moments but it's so damn goofy that you're sometimes scratching your head and wondering what the hell your watching.
Don't expect shoalin soccer with baseball, but if your into Japanese goofiness then don't miss it.
Totally worthless
xact20 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is totally stupid. How can someone spend money on making this? This movie is for those who lack intelligence, since it does not contain any intelligent thing
Bad acting+Bad script+Bad effects=Bad movie
Everyone is silly in this movie, then zombies comes or some stupid guy with several baseball bats inside him and is still alive. I could make a list of non logical stupid things here. I still cannot decide which Japanese movie is the worst, this or Koroshiya Ichi
Avoid at all cost, even if you are curious, download it so you know that you wouldn't spend a dime on this.
Bad acting+Bad script+Bad effects=Bad movie
Everyone is silly in this movie, then zombies comes or some stupid guy with several baseball bats inside him and is still alive. I could make a list of non logical stupid things here. I still cannot decide which Japanese movie is the worst, this or Koroshiya Ichi
Avoid at all cost, even if you are curious, download it so you know that you wouldn't spend a dime on this.
Trash and Fun to the max!
cronite1 November 2003
I saw Battlefield Baseball at the Fantasy Film Festival in Munich, and it's really one of the funniest movies i've ever seen in my live! I laughed actually the whole 87 minutes! The story is basically about a High School Baseball Team which has to face the brutal Killer Team of the Gedo High in a Baseball Match to death. I don't want to tell u anything about the funny scenes, 'cause they are difficult to explain to someone who hasn't seen the film. You have to see them, to believe it! So if u get the chance to see this awesome movie then GO AND SEE IT!! It's really worth it!
10 out of 10
10 out of 10
This Movie Doesn't Have Enough Balls
NoDakTatum9 December 2023
The exploitation fan in me could not wait to slam this sucker in the DVD player and be blown off the couch by wall to wall sick comedy and sicker gore. Instead, I was "mildly amused" for about an hour and a half. Seido High School has an incredible baseball team. Everyone but nerdy student Four Eyes (Atsushi Ito) is at their best, and they are totally prepared for the big tournament coming up. Rumors spread around school about the new student transferring in, Jubeh (Tak Sakaguchi), and then the school's principal Kocho gets horrific news. Seido will be playing Gedo High School in the tourney's opening round. Gedo is made up of monstrous, gray skinned zombies who literally kill their opponents. Jubeh is spotted playing a new kind of baseball- fighting baseball- and is recruited to join the team (think Jackie Earle Haley in the original "The Bad News Bears"). Jubeh refuses, singing a song about why, his father was killed in a game of catch, and Seido is annihilated by Gedo. Our heroic team bands together to play Gedo again, complete with Jubeh, some robotics, and touching narration explaining the bigger philosophies of the game- from a dog.
With the cool DVD cover, I was expecting something completely different. Yes, there are some laughs in "Battlefield Baseball." The Head Teacher who is in a constant state of hysterics. Jubeh's tortured turmoil at going back to baseball. The hilarious cheerleaders. Jubeh's family reunion. The constant use of slapstick. All kind of funny. The gore is badly done, though. The fake blood looks really fake, as does the fake body parts. The zombie make-up is cheap and unconvincing. For a horror comedy, the film does not seem to get either one right. I wanted the gore and the laughs to be bigger and make an impression on my otherwise jaded conscience. Instead, I sat watching the film with a goofy grin on my face, and forgot it pretty soon after. Sakaguchi looks like a Japanese Johnny Depp, and Yamaguchi's direction is over the top and often very clever. The old Subversive Cinema does another good DVD job, with making-of features, a really goofy subtitled commentary, strange short films, and trailers. I wish the film had been as good as the hype and extras.
With the cool DVD cover, I was expecting something completely different. Yes, there are some laughs in "Battlefield Baseball." The Head Teacher who is in a constant state of hysterics. Jubeh's tortured turmoil at going back to baseball. The hilarious cheerleaders. Jubeh's family reunion. The constant use of slapstick. All kind of funny. The gore is badly done, though. The fake blood looks really fake, as does the fake body parts. The zombie make-up is cheap and unconvincing. For a horror comedy, the film does not seem to get either one right. I wanted the gore and the laughs to be bigger and make an impression on my otherwise jaded conscience. Instead, I sat watching the film with a goofy grin on my face, and forgot it pretty soon after. Sakaguchi looks like a Japanese Johnny Depp, and Yamaguchi's direction is over the top and often very clever. The old Subversive Cinema does another good DVD job, with making-of features, a really goofy subtitled commentary, strange short films, and trailers. I wish the film had been as good as the hype and extras.
spoilin' for baseball
winner5512 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILER*
The DVD opens with a parody of the whiskey advertising scene in "Lost in Translation". How can one not like a film that parodies "Lost in Translation".
Quality is irrelevant to this movie - practically everything is.
I have seen comments that this is a derivative film - derivative of what, I don't know. There just seems to be an awful lot of funny movies coming out of Asia right now. We in America have lost our abilities to smile, along with our Bill of Rights, and our pensions. It's good to know someone has a sense of humor.
There's little doubt that this is not a baseball movie - except of course that it is. This ambiguity, or, if you prefer, paradox, analogously comparable to the difference between watching an old Jimmy Stewart film about a one-legged pitcher (perfect role for Jimmy Wang Yu) and getting dipped head first into a wood-chipper like Steve Buscemi in "Fargo", is sustained largely through an obvious decision not to behave in any predictably Japanese manner, except of course insofar as the film satirizes every samurai film cliché one could think of and still wind up on the sunny-side of other films made elsewhere.
What I'm trying to say is, I had a lot of fun watching this film, even if i still don't know what a super-tornado is or what it has to do with world peace.
*SPOILER*
There is no spoiler! Take a dump and go to sleep!
The DVD opens with a parody of the whiskey advertising scene in "Lost in Translation". How can one not like a film that parodies "Lost in Translation".
Quality is irrelevant to this movie - practically everything is.
I have seen comments that this is a derivative film - derivative of what, I don't know. There just seems to be an awful lot of funny movies coming out of Asia right now. We in America have lost our abilities to smile, along with our Bill of Rights, and our pensions. It's good to know someone has a sense of humor.
There's little doubt that this is not a baseball movie - except of course that it is. This ambiguity, or, if you prefer, paradox, analogously comparable to the difference between watching an old Jimmy Stewart film about a one-legged pitcher (perfect role for Jimmy Wang Yu) and getting dipped head first into a wood-chipper like Steve Buscemi in "Fargo", is sustained largely through an obvious decision not to behave in any predictably Japanese manner, except of course insofar as the film satirizes every samurai film cliché one could think of and still wind up on the sunny-side of other films made elsewhere.
What I'm trying to say is, I had a lot of fun watching this film, even if i still don't know what a super-tornado is or what it has to do with world peace.
*SPOILER*
There is no spoiler! Take a dump and go to sleep!
Boy, this sucks!
brooz16 December 2010
I had an occasion to watch a scene of this flick, I had no sound. it ROTFLed me: a teenage boy in a cage. Outside, another teenager and mature woman in nightdress fight with kungfu. She wielded a quite large hammer, scraping large chunks of everything it touched.
I caught the title for I had to watch this. Well. It was the only time I laughed for this flick.
You can still have fun with Jigoku Koshien if:
-you are less than 22.(geeks add 4, girls remove 5)
-You gather friends who wish a heavy duty low-budget Japanese no-brainer.
-You drink all available beer.
-go buy more beer and repeat drink.
-If your local laws permits smoking pot, you should consider doing so.
I loved many of the films cited in comments: Bad Taste, Evil Dead, Shaolin Soccer, Army of Darkness, many Monty Python, Battle Royal.
But did NOT enjoy Jigoku Koshien. (and feel that comparison with the latter is an insult to the formers)
I caught the title for I had to watch this. Well. It was the only time I laughed for this flick.
You can still have fun with Jigoku Koshien if:
-you are less than 22.(geeks add 4, girls remove 5)
-You gather friends who wish a heavy duty low-budget Japanese no-brainer.
-You drink all available beer.
-go buy more beer and repeat drink.
-If your local laws permits smoking pot, you should consider doing so.
I loved many of the films cited in comments: Bad Taste, Evil Dead, Shaolin Soccer, Army of Darkness, many Monty Python, Battle Royal.
But did NOT enjoy Jigoku Koshien. (and feel that comparison with the latter is an insult to the formers)
Wow...Just Wow.
Sublime50lbc8 September 2005
This is one of the worst films ever made.
Now, with that being said, I highly recommend it! If you like movies that are just plain stupid and silly, then this is for you. I really can't say anything else to get anyone to watch it. It's really just plain bad. But, in doing so, it is hilarious and just great.
You really can't get any better with vicious (and cheesy!) baseball brawls ! In fact, everything about this film is just oozing of cheese.
I think the greatest bit in the entire film however is the constant changing of "Bancho". Such a great addition that makes zero sense.
I'll leave with saying: JUBEI SPECIAL!!
Now, with that being said, I highly recommend it! If you like movies that are just plain stupid and silly, then this is for you. I really can't say anything else to get anyone to watch it. It's really just plain bad. But, in doing so, it is hilarious and just great.
You really can't get any better with vicious (and cheesy!) baseball brawls ! In fact, everything about this film is just oozing of cheese.
I think the greatest bit in the entire film however is the constant changing of "Bancho". Such a great addition that makes zero sense.
I'll leave with saying: JUBEI SPECIAL!!
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