Death Note (2006)

Completely Awesome

I went and saw this movie in theaters earlier this year, when it came out for two nights in May. I was actually expecting the Japanese version with subs (which I had seen previously via the internet over 10 times), but I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a dub with the anime dub's voices. The original movie was excellent, and while the dub feels a little more comedic (if your not used to seeing peoples words not match their mouth's movements, it's funny for a bit), it's still amazing. Fans of both the original and the anime will enjoy this, despite the awkward mouth-movements-cannot-fit-dubbed-over-voices-properly thing. It's still cool - if you love Death Note, you'll love this! :3 (Don't shun the dub just because it's a dub!) September 23, 2008

I liked it

I liked the way it was put together. The cg in it was excellent. The way the condenced it was cool. I liked the fact that they used the same voice actors as in the anime. Very good adaptation. Can't wait for the next one. September 20, 2008

4 ½ Stars: The Human Whose Name is written in this Notebook will Die..

Death Note is based on the popular manga (Japanese Comic) and loosely based on the anime series of the same name. I've never read the comic but I saw the anime series on imported dvd, and I have to say the Live-action version, Death Note and Death Note the Last Name does the franchise justice. This series is one of the best I've seen from Japan in a while. I will review both films because one movie while phenomenal and definitely can stand on its own, the story is very much linked together.

Plot synopsis loosely derived from the DVD cover:
In "Death Note", Tatsuya Fujiwara plays the role of Light Yagami, a genius law student who picks up the "Death Note" and uses it to "cleanse" the world of evil. Upholding justice obsesses him and he envisions himself as a god in the crime-less utopia he plans to create. As criminals continue to die in unexplainable ways, people start saying that it must be the work of a "messiah", of whom they call Kira. L, played by Kenichi Matsuyama, works for the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO) and is deployed to solve the Kira mystery.

In "Death Note 2: The Last Name", the story continues as Light devises a plan to be part of the Kira Task Force headed by L. While the two geniuses are busy dealing with each other, a second Death Note drops into Earth. Rem, a Shinigami (Death God), brings the second notebook and Misa Amane (Erika Toda), a pop star and Kira worshipper, comes into possession of it. Becoming a Kira herself, she accepts the offer to have the 'Eyes of the Death' which will enable her to know the name of any person without being told.
As Misa and Light work together to get rid of L, a new character, Kiyomi Takada (Nana Katase), comes into the picture as the third Kira. With the disclosure of the new rules of the Death Note, the mystery becomes more complex, with a satisfying storyline and a completely unpredictable finale.
That's just scratching the surface, as Light continues to experiment with the capabilities of the book, as well as to internalize all the rules to call upon some serious manipulation of the rules to work to his advantage. Power corrupts absolutely--What would a human being do with the power of life and death?

Man has no right to play GOD.
This film reflects why imperfect human beings should not hold such power, men are fallible, vulnerable to desires and vanity. You see an almost accurate telling of one person's corruption and descent into madness, and how a genius can seem stupid. It also tries to reflect on the different views of a society and how a small "nudge" in the wrong (or right)direction by a government or individual can affect how things are seen by its people. The issue of capital punishment is also explored in both films. Some may say that the film also contains a social commentary.

The battle of wits between L and Light Yagami is definitely one to watch; as the two geniuses struggle to stay one step ahead of the other. It is rather curious that such a complex match-up of intelligence also proves that the two are actually two sides of the same coin but on opposing sides. L is pretty much a charming if eccentric presence as the sugar-loving detective. I didn't know that sugar does provide energy for the brain until I observed him gulp down significant amounts of candy and dessert. The thing that proves Light Yagami quite dangerous is the fact that he believes that he is doing the right thing and whatever steps he has taken may seem cruel, it is justified. When one believes his cause his just, one becomes more determined than the common opponent.

Death Note is smart storytelling, the plot twists and thrills are non-stop, each scene has a relevance to the next. The thrills/suspense are more CEREBRAL than visual with a very solid structure. The direction by Shusuke Kaneko effectively promotes intense energy and never lets up on the suspense, further accentuated by its twists and turns. Upon watching these two films, keep in mind that this is Fantasy-horror, the "Death Gods" have that manga/anime look, they may have that cartoonish look, but they look almost exactly like in the comic. Story-wise, it is pretty intense, it is genre-busting, battle of wits thriller that involves the supernatural world. (Although some anime films do surpass other films in terms of plot) I will stop here, since with this film, the less you know, the better it would be.

Death Note 1 & 2 really caught my attention. This is intelligent storytelling and for the most part, kept me on the edge of my seat. It made a good transition from comic to film. The two dvds are very much worth every penny!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [4 ½ Stars]
These two films have been selected at the 2007 New York film festival.




September 7, 2008

Just. Plain. WOW!

I'm a huge fan of both the anime and the manga (It's my current obsession) so when I got the chance to go see the movie in theaters, I was ecstatic. I'll admit, the dubbing looked a bit...goofy, but that didn't change the fact that it was just as awesome as the Manga/Anime. Truth me told, I was recovering from eye surgery when I went to see it, so the fact that it was dubbed was a blessing, since it meant I didn't have to try and read subtitle. Another bonus was getting to hear L's wonderful dub voice while seeing the adorable L in the movie. XD

On a serious note, I hope hey release "Last Name" and "LChange The World" as well. I've only seen "Death Note", and really want to see the other two.

I recommend this DVD for any fan of Death Note, or anyone who enjoys a good psychological suspense movie. It realy makes you think! And if you don't want to watch the dub, there's this magical setting called 'subtitles' that lets you watch the Japanese voices, with English voices. Don't decide against it until you've tried it, at least. August 26, 2008

FUNNY AND AWESOME !!!

WELL I SAW IT WITH SUBTITLES AND IT WAS JUST SO COOL! OF COURSE IF IT HAD BEEN MADE BY HOLLYWOOD MAYBE THE ACTING OR GRAPHICS/DIGITAL EFFECTS COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO OUR TASTE. YET, FOR A FILM THAT WAS PRODUCED IN JAPAN BY A JAPANESE CREW IT WAS GREAT. IT'S FULL OF LAUGHS AND IT WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU COULD SPEAK JAPANESE, BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH FUN! IT'S ALMOST A GREAT AS WATCHING BABY WOMBATS DANCE...^_^ CUDDLE WUGS July 29, 2008

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