Death Note

Though the message of the film is to imply that absolute power corrupts, 'Deathnote', is a film that failed to impress me. Yes, I have seen the sequel too and I understand why it appeals to the young generation (the reasons are obvious). We see that the 'hero', Light, initially intended to use the deathnote in order to rid the world of criminals … but one thing leads to another and he becomes obsessed with power. A good premise indeed. However, there are some silly twists and several plot holes and the pace is extremely slow. Situations just become a little too unbelievable. It almost becomes another clichéd Japanese Teen-Horror film. The special effects make the Death god look fake and even some of their actions are unexplained (as are so many things in the film). I'd also like to warn that the film's ending is inconclusive (as it's continued in the second film), so if you still want to know what happens, there's the sequel.

A live-action adaptation of the anime/manga 'Death Note' is not something too far-fetched. Unlike 'Dragon Ball' or 'Saint Seiya', 'Death Note' is not flashy or fight-based, being much easier to be re-enacted with real people instead of drawn ones.

The story follows Light Yagami, a genius teenager who finds a Death Note: a notebook used by Shinigamis ('death gods') with the power to kill people whose name are written on it. Deciding to use the book to kill all criminals in the world and create an utopia, he ends up at odds with L, the world's greatest detective, who is tasked with finding the 'Kira' and bring him to justice.

The premise is rather strange and might sound silly, but it actually develops smartly and creates many thought-provoking points for reflexion. The anime/manga is possibly one of the best ones out there, and the confrontations between Light's and L's views create a splendid philosophical discussion on the nature of good/evil. Is Light right to kill others like he is doing? To have such a power over others lives, how easy is it to cross the line of good and evil? Is there such a line at all?

This film covers the first half of the story. As such, it is obviously convoluted and some of the side-plots are changed/discarded so as to keep the story's flow. The actors are good; in special, Ken'ichi Matsuyama is brilliant as L and manages to copy his mannerisms with perfection. Tatsuya Fujiwara also makes a worthwhile Light. Ryuuk, the Shinigami who gives Light the Death Note, is also present through a good use of special effects. The soundtrack is good at times too.

This is definitely worth a look for 'Death Note' fans, and possibly even for those with no previous knowledge. There are some deviations from the original story, true, but nothing that hinders the quality. A nice touch was having Light read 'Beyond Good and Evil' in one scene, a perfect choice for him.

I dunno why some people think that the CGI of Ryuuk was bad... I thought it was excellent - realistic but not too out of place. It doesn't have physical fights and thrill (and if you've read the manga, you would know). The actor choices were pretty good - Tatsuya Fujiwara was, and still, well-known for his on-stage productions, and Kenichi Matsuyama's (from Nana fame - he was Shinichi, the bass player of the band 'Black Stones')L / Ryuuzaki was awesome! His every 'weird and strange' movements were exactly how I imagined the actual L would be ^-^ If I have to choose one thing negative about this film, it would be the character - Shiori. I have nothing against her, but then again, she was just some additional romance line that the director thought was a good idea. So in the end... if you're a fan of the DN manga, and you don't mind the directors changing the scenes abit, you should definitely give it a try!!

Despite what some may say, this is as great as adaptation of the manga as one could ask for. The actors portray their characters perfectly. The calm menace of Light is portrayed perfectly, with a clear distinction between Light and "Kira" Light, which is impressive considering anime would allow stronger visual cues. L is an honest to god incarnation of his manga and anime counter part down to the smallest detail. Ryuk is also impressive, the CGI effects do him justice and his voice is much better then the one for the subbed anime which was horrendous.

Now obviously the plot needed to be condensed and changed but they did very well. All the important parts are there and the ending, which strays far from the manga, is actually even better then what actually happened in that instance in the story. It wasn't conveyed the complex story involving a genius highschool student who's use of a notebook that kills people that get's him involved in a proverbial chess match with the detective L, but they did a fine job. Misa, despite her short screen time, acted the part of Misa perfectly, down to the voice.

Fans of the manga should enjoy as long as they don't expect an exact replica of the manga, and fans of thrillers should enjoy this as well.

9.5/10

This is the live-action version of the TV anime series, DEATH NOTE. They are both relatively similar, though the plot lines have been moved around a bit and a girlfriend was created for the main character, Light. In the anime and manga, there was no girlfriend and so my purist daughter complained loudly when she appeared in the film. However, I advise you to relax and give the film a chance--I actually LOVED what they did with the lady in the film. Early on, she's about as superfluous as a vestigial tail, but later she becomes an important part of the plot--you'll see. But as for the rest of the film, it is true to the original--Light is an evil piggie and L looks and acts much like a cockroach (like in the anime).

As for the story itself, it's a pretty hard film to describe for Western audiences. If you are already an anime/manga freak, then you probably will not be scared away by the odd plot line and story elements about the supernatural. However, for the uninitiated, please try to suspend judgment--the film can be enjoyed by anyone--not just anime/manga fans. I am much more of a casual fan of the genre and enjoyed the film immensely. My wife generally hates anime and loved the film. And, my insane "sold my soul to anime" teen loved the film as well. In light of this, I really think this live-action film is good entertainment for all.

One final note is that the guy playing Light's father is Chairman Kaga from Iron Chef. Throughout the film, I kept expecting him to whip out a yellow pepper and eat it, but unfortunately he did not!