Death Note, le film

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!

Just returned from debut of Death Note, and surprisingly I enjoyed it. Manga to big screen adaptations don't always do so well, so I wasn't getting my hopes up over this. All the main characters are portrayed very well by the cast. Yes, even Tatsuya Fujiwara did a great job as the stories protagonist, Yagami Light. However, his rival, played by Ken'ichi Matsuyama was amazing. Completely captured the world's greatest detective's every mannerism with ease. But the true star of this 2 part story is definitely Light's shinigami, Ryuuk. Outstanding job by the CGI crew, and Ryuuk's voice was just as would be imagined in the manga. Can't really give too much away because I'd hate to spoil it for anybody who hasn't read the manga (that being said, definitely read the manga to see what was changed, in my opinion, the changes were overall good, not great, but it won't make you angry) . I guess the main question on everybody's mind would be is the movie better than the manga? No, but in a (about) 2 hour film you couldn't do much better with story. Well worth checking out.

As a non-aficionado of manga, I am always wary of manga-inspired productions. Nana, for example, panders purely to its manga fan-base and fails to engage a wider audience.

Death Note, however, manages to break free of its comic book origins. Light finds the Death Note, a jotter that allows him to pass a death sentence on anyone whose name he writes in it. Ryuuk, the apple-addicted Angel of Death who owns the book, turns up to play sidekick to Light's procession of executions. The police are at a loss, till super-sleuth 'L' takes on the case and figures out the MO and narrows the suspects down to the lead detectives' family.

Tatsuya Fujiwara is perfectly cast, his angelic features in shocking contrast to the character's dark heart. Ken'ichi Matsuyama is all quirky brilliance as L. The pace is brisk, the twists plausible and surprising. The ending sets up the sequel but in a forgivable manner. Fun, entertaining cinema.

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.

Well, I am new to death note, I decided to watch it in cinema and it was great. There was a twist in the plot. It made me want to know what was going to happen soon. It did not waste my two hours, but although it was a bit slow but still it was a great movie. I did not read the comics but guessing from the poster, it look great. Although, the characters from the comics did not really fit the actors, the acting was okay. The story was simple, Light received the death note and killed bad guys....L was tracking him down. Dead simple but there were twists in the plot, the ending was a big twist. I would decide what would happen. I hope Death note 2 is better than this when watching Death note 2 trailer.