Death Note (Live Action - Dub & Sub)

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Product Description
Light Yagami is an ace student who finds the Death Note a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies and Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead the authorities send the legendary detective "L" to investigate.Soon he's hot on the trail of Light who must now reevaluate his noble goal. Both Light and L believe themselves to be on the side of justice and the two match wits as they attempt to prove which one of them is "good" and which one of them is "evil."This bilingual release features the English voice actors from the anime series!System Requirements:Running Time: 120 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 896911001126 Manufacturer No: 896911001126

Amazon.com
The first live-action feature based on the manga Death Note covers much of the same material as the first 12 episodes of the animated series. Handsome Light Yagami has just passed the bar exam, but he's repelled by the injustice of modern society. His life changes dramatically when he finds a Death Note, a notebook dropped into human space by Ryuk, a Shinigami (god of death). If anyone writes the name of a human in the book, that person will die within minutes. Under the pseudonym "Kira," Light launches a gradiose vigilante campaign to rid the world of criminals and create his vision of a perfect society. But the string of deaths attracts the attention of the police, who refer the baffling case to the eccentric but brilliant detective known only as "L." The police are reduced to pawns as the investigation becomes a high-stakes battle of wits between Light and L. Director Shusuke Kaneko and screenwriter Tetsuya Oshi add a dramatic subplot: the fiancee of one of Kira's victim deduces the killer's identity. Tatsuya Fujiwara makes Light more understandable and more likable than his animated counterpart. Kenichi Matsuyama looks properly pallid as L, but his addiction to desserts looks silly in live action and weakens the character's intensity. The hokey Ryuk never blends in with the real sets. Death Note ends inconclusively, but continues in a sequel.(Unrated: suitable for ages 16 and older: grotesque imagery, violence, violence against women, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Whose name would you write?, May 30, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

"Death Note" was a much better flick than I was expecting. It was a huge hit in Japan, and because I had never read the original manga, I had avoided it thinking I wouldn't get the entire story. My loss, as it turns out.

The cat-and-mouse detective game mixed with the fantasy elements of the gods of death and their magical books makes for an interesting story. The two main characters, "L" and Light, are an intense duo, and like the best of this genre of film it is hard to decide who to root for. Light (Tatsuya Fujiwara, "Battle Royale"), known by the general public as the hero/murderer "Killer", is the holder of the Death Note, and has the power to kill anyone on Earth just by writing their name. A hardcore and brilliant student of criminal justice, he uses his power to erase the vermin of the world, serial killers, child rapists and gangsters. For the most part, his actions are praised, but he is still a murderer in the eyes of the law, and needs to be brought down. On his side is the Ryuuk, a Japanese god of death who gave Light the Death Note in order to keep himself entertained. Hunting him down in "L" (Ken'ichi Matsuyama, "Linda,Linda, Linda"), a young, oddball genius with a penchant for sweets who keeps his name hidden in order to protect himself from the powers of the Death Note. L hunts Light, and Light hunts L, and it is never clear who is the person a step ahead, and who is the fly falling into the web.

Director Shusuke Kaneko, who cut his teeth on Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman flicks, managed to keep the story close enough to the manga to please the fans while making it complete enough that newcomers don't feel that they are only getting a part of the picture. The CG animated Ryuuk stands out at first, but soon becomes a natural part of the storyline, and Kaneko's familiarity with the special effects learned from the monster films did him good service. All of the actors do a great job, particularly Fujiwara and Matsuyama as L and Light, who carry the movie on the strength of their performances.

"Death Note" was a great enough film that it had me running to pick up the sequel, which actually makes a single film "Kill Bill"-style, as well as checking out the manga and the spin-off flick "L:Change the World". All of them are high quality, and all of them are recommended.

4 out of 5 stars

A solid adaptation May 19, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

So the manga was a massive worldwide sensation, the anime series is destined to go down as an all-time classic, and you people still can't get enough. Well, here you go: "Death Note" has now been quite successfully adapted as a two-part series of live action films. I put off watching them for some time out of fear that the story would be butchered, but -while neither are brilliant films- I'd have to say that I'm impressed by how closely the films were able to match the original storyline while adding some new flourishes that can only be seen as improvements. As long as expectations aren't too high, I think most will be pleased by this version of the story that every Japanophile knows by heart by now.

The film opens with a single black notebook falling from the sky, landing on the nighttime pavement during a rainstorm. Next, we see criminals performing violent acts and/or getting set free before their names are scrawled across the screen; seconds later, they drop dead. The news reports speak of "Kira", an invisible force that is delivering judgement on criminals that are escaping punishment and running rampant. Some people say Kira is a monster, some say he's a savior as the crime rate continues to fall. It is then we meet Light Yagami; a college student with a genius intellect, a loving family, a beautiful girlfriend, and a notebook that kills anybody whose name is written within it's pages. "Death Note" is the same as it ever was, a story about means versus ends, civil rights versus civil order, the line between good and evil, and the true meaning of justice. This movie's best feature is it's respect for the original story. This is what every film adaptation should strive to be.

In spite of all the goodness, there are major bumps on the road to adapting a first-rate anime to live action. First off, this is obviously a serious live-action film; one that involves supernatural creatures known as "shinigami", the Gods of Death. These creatures are essentially perfect CG reproductions of their respective manga/anime counterparts. Ryuk (Light's shinigami who we meet in this film) is extremely distracting whenever he is onscreen as he appears to have just stepped out of a videogame into the real world. He's my favorite character from the anime (along with Misa, who is introduced here and co-stars in the sequel), but in this film he's an annoyance at times. There are some things that just don't translate well to live action and CG anime characters are one of them. L, the mysterious and bizarrely eccentric detective sent to bring Kira to justice is a unique character and the true hero of the story adn the actor portraying him does a fine job, but his kooky mannerisms come off as rather cartoonish when you watch a real person ape them. These are all minor issues that can and probably should be swept aside considering the difficulty of faithfully adapting an anime as popular as this one to film. But people who are not already fans of "Death Note" will almost certainly be put off by these things so they have to be taken into account. And if anybody can tell me how the Red Hot Chili Peppers factor into the vibe of these films, do share. "Dani California" just seems like an odd choice for a theme song is all; especially when there is so much great music on the Death Note Tribute Music Soundtrack.

All-in-all fans should be more or less pleased with this film, whose exceptional faithfulness to the source material should be commended. But there are a lot of peope who will likely be put off from this movie the second Ryuk flies in in all his 2nd-rate CG glory. The end of tis one leads into the sequel which is actually better and offers a new and superior conclusion to the already brilliant story of the manga/anime. So have no fear "Death Note" fans; this one gets more right than most feature film adaptations. However, I can't really recommend it to the average filmgoer. The bad CG really does a number on this film visually and it just doesn't hold up to the perfection of the anime series. 3 1/2 stars rounded up for degree of difficulty.

5 out of 5 stars

Magnificent! May 21, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I just watched this in the theater as part of its (very) limited May '08 US theatrical release, and it was simply magnificent! There were a few slightly quirky or off-beat directorial choices, and somewhat rudimentary special effects; but overall, I found it exceptionally entertaining.

The premise is very clever, and the one-upsmanship of the plot twists are simply brilliant. Of course, I think the real appeal of a story like this is that there are actually TWO protagonists in fierce conflict with one other - a rare and difficult literary feat. On the side of the law, we have a neutral (perhaps even slightly evil) hero, known only as "L." Opposite L, we have "Kira," a chaotic anti-hero with a deeply twisted sense of justice. It's that highly satisfying kind of narrative that invites you to root for either or both side at the same time, depending on the color of your soul.

The roller coaster ride that unfolds - both in the movie itself and the depths of your own conscience - is a thrill ride not to be missed.

5 out of 5 stars

4 Stars: The Human Whose Name is written in this Notebook will Die.. September 7, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

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 Stars]
These two films have been selected at the 2007 New York film festival.

1 out of 5 stars

Viz sucks! June 28, 2008
4 out of 54 found this review helpful

I saw it in theaters and got a refund after seeing a few minutes of it. They dubbed it! Was expecting it to be in Japanese. o.O It looked so goofy! Why can't people just read subtitles? x3 lol

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