With
Netflix's Death Note premiering tomorrow, I decided to go back and
review the Japanese live action movies. To my surprise, I discovered
that a new one came out last year in Japan. So over the last week or so I
watched all four movies and these are my thoughts:
-Death Note (2006). I really don't have too much to say about this one, since it's really half a movie. It isn't really a straight adaption of the manga, instead it kinda makes up it's own story, which is fine, but it's not the best one. This really feels like a set up movie in the way all these "Part 1" movies feels. Because it really is a "Part 1" movie. It ends on a cliffhanger but it ends in a way where, even though I didn't care too much for what I saw, I was still intrigued to see more. The actor playing L absolutely NAILS the role, he's incredible. The way the film sets up the Death Note in the opening scene was inspired, and really gets the audience sucked in immediately. I actually saw this in theaters when it was in limited release in America, and it was a full house. Having that big screen experience was still great even if the actual film itself felt lacking. I'll give it a solid Matinee. There's enough good stuff here to justify that.
-Death Note: The Last Name (2006). I legitimately love this film. I think it's nothing but exceptional. A HUGE improvement over the first film. It's 140 minutes long, but it's so tight and is constantly moving, that by the time it was over I was actually exhausted. It's filled with so much tension and emotion, and you actually get the sense that the director genuinely loves the material that he's adapting. It felt like THIS was the movie he wanted to make, but needed to make that first one to set it up properly. It's also really faithful to the manga compared to the first one, but also isn't afraid to take it's own liberties. I actually prefer the ending to this movie to the ending of the manga and anime. I really do. It's a Full Price for me. I enjoyed immensely and it's everything I wanted a Death Note film to be.
-L: Change the World (2008). I didn't care for this one too much. The story just seems so manufactured. The actor who plays L in these movies is a huge name in Japan, so it's no wonder why the studio wanted him to have his own movie. But that's my number one problem with this; it FEELS like a studio manufactured movie. But it's not completely without merit: once again, L nails his performance, the "ticking clock" in the form of "x amount of days L has left to live" really took a punch at you whenever it pops up, and the ending scene was absolutely incredible. I just wish the story was stronger. The pacing is slow as a snail and there's a shit ton of filler in it. I was honestly bored throughout most of it. I'll give it a Rental.
-Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016). If there were doubt that the L spinoff was studio manufactured, this one absolutely is. There's really no reason for this movie to be. The returning cast is great, but the new cast of characters are so one-note and thin. This movie plays more like a police drama than a Death Note movie, and not even a good one. But there are a few genuine twists I didn't see coming and the last act was a complete roller coaster. The movie is still too long for it's own good (over two hours), and it actually repeats some of the same plot threads as the other movies (characters actually acknowledge it too). It's not really a bad movie, but it's not that great either. You can probably skip it entirely. It leaves room for a sequel so we'll see where it goes. It's a Rental.
-Death Note (2006). I really don't have too much to say about this one, since it's really half a movie. It isn't really a straight adaption of the manga, instead it kinda makes up it's own story, which is fine, but it's not the best one. This really feels like a set up movie in the way all these "Part 1" movies feels. Because it really is a "Part 1" movie. It ends on a cliffhanger but it ends in a way where, even though I didn't care too much for what I saw, I was still intrigued to see more. The actor playing L absolutely NAILS the role, he's incredible. The way the film sets up the Death Note in the opening scene was inspired, and really gets the audience sucked in immediately. I actually saw this in theaters when it was in limited release in America, and it was a full house. Having that big screen experience was still great even if the actual film itself felt lacking. I'll give it a solid Matinee. There's enough good stuff here to justify that.
-Death Note: The Last Name (2006). I legitimately love this film. I think it's nothing but exceptional. A HUGE improvement over the first film. It's 140 minutes long, but it's so tight and is constantly moving, that by the time it was over I was actually exhausted. It's filled with so much tension and emotion, and you actually get the sense that the director genuinely loves the material that he's adapting. It felt like THIS was the movie he wanted to make, but needed to make that first one to set it up properly. It's also really faithful to the manga compared to the first one, but also isn't afraid to take it's own liberties. I actually prefer the ending to this movie to the ending of the manga and anime. I really do. It's a Full Price for me. I enjoyed immensely and it's everything I wanted a Death Note film to be.
-L: Change the World (2008). I didn't care for this one too much. The story just seems so manufactured. The actor who plays L in these movies is a huge name in Japan, so it's no wonder why the studio wanted him to have his own movie. But that's my number one problem with this; it FEELS like a studio manufactured movie. But it's not completely without merit: once again, L nails his performance, the "ticking clock" in the form of "x amount of days L has left to live" really took a punch at you whenever it pops up, and the ending scene was absolutely incredible. I just wish the story was stronger. The pacing is slow as a snail and there's a shit ton of filler in it. I was honestly bored throughout most of it. I'll give it a Rental.
-Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016). If there were doubt that the L spinoff was studio manufactured, this one absolutely is. There's really no reason for this movie to be. The returning cast is great, but the new cast of characters are so one-note and thin. This movie plays more like a police drama than a Death Note movie, and not even a good one. But there are a few genuine twists I didn't see coming and the last act was a complete roller coaster. The movie is still too long for it's own good (over two hours), and it actually repeats some of the same plot threads as the other movies (characters actually acknowledge it too). It's not really a bad movie, but it's not that great either. You can probably skip it entirely. It leaves room for a sequel so we'll see where it goes. It's a Rental.
