Rarely do live-action adaptations of cartoons do justice to the original source. This 2006 version of the hit series "Death Note" is one of those rare ones.
The original "Death Note" is undoubtedly one of the most unique and original animes/mangas out there. It has a very interesting concept: Boy finds a notebook that can kill anybody in mind just by writing down that person's name; the said-boy attempt to put the notebook into good use by eliminating all of the world's most dreaded criminals, thus earning him notoriety and admiration from world, and catching the attention of his most formidable opponent: a mysterious detective bend on discovering his true identity and putting him to justice. That series is not never lacks clever situations, great suspense, and interesting characters, it also compels the viewer to ask a very poignant question: What is justice? What would you do if you were God?
This live-action movie does a decent job of adapting the original series (at least the first half of it) within a two-hour frame. It keeps the basic and most important scenes from the original series as well as the themes of justice and the ability to kill. That should make this film enjoyable for fans of the original series and those who have never heard of it.
There are some notable departures from the original series, but none of them are bad - and in fact, they are actually really great! The character Shiori is a rather nice creation, and she becomes an interesting plot device. The death of the character Naomi Misora was cleverly-done. The climax was very well-done, and the ending is perhaps one of the most exciting in all cinema: The final scene in which the protagonist/anti-hero Light Yagami meets face-to-face with the detective "L" will send shivers down audiences' spines.
Ken'ichi Matsuyama is literally L brought to life: His appearance, his mannerisms, everything are straight from the book. For those unfamiliar with the series, and this is their first time watching this film, the live-action L makes for an excellent introduction to the most interesting character in the series (and thus the film).
This film however, does not have the complexity of the original series. While the original "Death Note" is filled with suspense-filled scenarios that have the viewer guessing and thinking, this live-action movie is pretty simple and straight-forward; clearly it is meant to be just entertainment, and that's it. There are moments of campiness here however. The special effects used for the Japanese Death Gods ("shinigami") are not only blatantly CGI, they are cartoony-looking as well. Clearly, this is a B-movie.
But there's nothing wrong with that. This movie never tries to be anything more than that. It's not meant for the Oscars or anything of the matter. It's an entertaining flick, and for what it is, it does a good job. And as an adaptation of a cartoon/comic book, it's one of the those films that actually does a decent job of adapting.
Definitely one of my favorites.
The original "Death Note" is undoubtedly one of the most unique and original animes/mangas out there. It has a very interesting concept: Boy finds a notebook that can kill anybody in mind just by writing down that person's name; the said-boy attempt to put the notebook into good use by eliminating all of the world's most dreaded criminals, thus earning him notoriety and admiration from world, and catching the attention of his most formidable opponent: a mysterious detective bend on discovering his true identity and putting him to justice. That series is not never lacks clever situations, great suspense, and interesting characters, it also compels the viewer to ask a very poignant question: What is justice? What would you do if you were God?
This live-action movie does a decent job of adapting the original series (at least the first half of it) within a two-hour frame. It keeps the basic and most important scenes from the original series as well as the themes of justice and the ability to kill. That should make this film enjoyable for fans of the original series and those who have never heard of it.
There are some notable departures from the original series, but none of them are bad - and in fact, they are actually really great! The character Shiori is a rather nice creation, and she becomes an interesting plot device. The death of the character Naomi Misora was cleverly-done. The climax was very well-done, and the ending is perhaps one of the most exciting in all cinema: The final scene in which the protagonist/anti-hero Light Yagami meets face-to-face with the detective "L" will send shivers down audiences' spines.
Ken'ichi Matsuyama is literally L brought to life: His appearance, his mannerisms, everything are straight from the book. For those unfamiliar with the series, and this is their first time watching this film, the live-action L makes for an excellent introduction to the most interesting character in the series (and thus the film).
This film however, does not have the complexity of the original series. While the original "Death Note" is filled with suspense-filled scenarios that have the viewer guessing and thinking, this live-action movie is pretty simple and straight-forward; clearly it is meant to be just entertainment, and that's it. There are moments of campiness here however. The special effects used for the Japanese Death Gods ("shinigami") are not only blatantly CGI, they are cartoony-looking as well. Clearly, this is a B-movie.
But there's nothing wrong with that. This movie never tries to be anything more than that. It's not meant for the Oscars or anything of the matter. It's an entertaining flick, and for what it is, it does a good job. And as an adaptation of a cartoon/comic book, it's one of the those films that actually does a decent job of adapting.
Definitely one of my favorites.