So the Death Note movie from Netflix is out. I wasn't really really excited for this movie. While the rest of the idiots online were offended that Light was now white instead of Japanese (and suspiciously silent about L's race change), I wasn't looking forward to it because it looked like shit in the trailers and it sounded like shit from every interview the director gave.

So I am surprised to say that I actually liked this movie. Yes, its not as smart as the manga/anime, yes it changed characters and motivations, and yes the characters were a lot dumber than in the original.... but I had fun watching it.

One thing that took me by surprise was how sympathetic Light was in this. In the anime I was rooting for Light because he was so awesome and a cool character, in this movie I was rooting for him because he's the only character worth rooting for. He's actually the most sympathetic character in the movie, if you can believe it. He only writes the names of criminals and is against the killing of the law enforcement officers hunting him down. Its Mia and Ryuk constantly fucking him over that gets L on his tail. And when Light is feeling out L in their conversation (and wanting to reveal the truth) its L that says it'll only end when Light's dead.

The actor for Light was solid. I"d rate him higher but the scene where he freaked and was running around screaming in panic at the beginning of the movie awful. I've seen better acting than that in 80's slasher fics. Thankfully, he improved in the rest of the movie. Or maybe that scene just set a really low bar.

Mi(s)a does all of the villainous things that Light did in the anime. Its too bad that the character didn't have any depth to her. I don't think we ever got her motivation for any of this other then "I'm a cheerleader. This is the only thing I'll ever do that matters." There wasn't any reason to me invested in her. The actress wasn't bad, but she didn't have anything to work with. The only thing she has going for her that endears me to her is the fact that she was watching Phantasm in her room.

Ryuk was great. He's a lot more directly manipulative than the source material, but he's still great fun.

Light's dad was cool. He's the typical movie cop, but the writing for him was good enough and the acting was really good.

Watari was fine. Not bad, but not that good.

L was.... a dumber version of L. He was still weird. He ate candy, sat weird, etc. He's just dumb. He's hailed as this great detective but it wasn't any of Light's actions that fingered him as Kira. It was Mia's, not that L knew it. There is no battle of wits here. Also, when L had a chance to learn how Kira kills if he played it right he instead flips out at Light and ruined any chance of getting information out of him. The acting was good, but the writing was disappointing.

I know I've listed alot of negatives here, but despite all of that, I still enjoyed the movie. Light and his dad along with Ryuk go a long way to carry this movie for me.

 

The movie is solid. You really have to set aside the source material, if you enjoyed the manga/anime, to enjoy the film. It's so heavily westernised. Not in a good way. I don't know how they felt they were doing an original take if they were just following the beats of every other western crime thriller. The chase scene in particular almost killed me. Everything about it was so not Death Note, but I actually think that it will appeal to general audiences more.

I definitely think that Ryuk was the highlight of the movie. I could've done with a lot more Ryuk. Willem Dafoe once again owned his character completely, it reminds me of how well he played the Green Goblin.

I'm on the fence about Light's character arc. One of the major issues I feel is that the actor was injecting a level of menace to some of the scenes that his character just didn't back up. Plus they totally montaged the time of what should have been his greatest character growth. Light goes from testing the note to using it on 400 people and establishing his persona as Kira, all in a couple of minutes. I did enjoy the ending though, well, excluding the cliffhanger, as Light seemed to step into his role as the keeper more fully. That final moment between him and the dad had the distinct Death Note feel to it that the rest of the movie was lacking.

I can't believe they kept the annoying girlfriend and not the potato chip scene... missed opportunities.

L's character was probably the most disappointing for me as he was my favourite in the manga. I remember wanting him and Light to keep teaming up even though I knew they were on borrowed time. Sure he ate candy and had the idiosyncrasies of L, but once the Watari stuff happened they took his character down a path that I don't think aligned with the source material.

Overall I enjoyed it, but was still disappointed.

PS. People need to stop complaining about white washing. Seriously, enough already. Go occupy a safe space by yourself or something.

 

The whitewashing was the least annoying thing about it, tbh. Total disregard for the themes and style of the anime was what really turned me off. Also, condensation of the plot just didn't work. At all. The best thing about Death Note is the intellectual struggle between L and Light. Taking that out was a poor choice, but necessary for movie format. Which is why they really should have just gone with a series or miniseries.

3/10 stay away from Bebop Netflix.

 

If you haven't watched the anime or read the manga it's a slighty below average movie but I as a fan of the source think it's a fail.

I have no problem with changing the souce material if you want to tell your own story or have something which improves it but you still have to retain the soul and themes of the source or it will alienate the original fans.

This movie tried to have it's cake and eat it you can't just give the character almost the same names and quirks while changing everything that defines their personality of course we will compare it to the source material like this if you want to tell a complete different story atleast make some original characters.

The reason why many people like Death Note is the battle of wits between Light and L, the unconvential villainous protagonist and the moral questions about justice.

This movie was Young Adult Romance bullshit story

Spoiler

don't get me started on that ridiculous supposedly tragic scene at the ferris wheel with that cheesy song playing eventhough Mia tried to kill and betray him that we should feel sorry for that tragic love was hilarious

Almost everyone was total moron especially Light who was imo by far the worst offense of this movie not only did he lack all qualitys of what defines him the twisted sense of justice, the intelligence and manipulation and the drive to actually want to change the world this Light feels more like his motivation was to score some pussy.

He reads the Death Note in public just tells Mia that he is a murderer and has a killer notebook to impress her without knowing her and not able to predict how she would react yet we are supposed to believe he is intelligent just because we are told.

It also was stupid just how poweful the Death Note was I am pretty sure you couldn't just instigate a cartoonish final destination kill with it like the guy who got decapitated or just manipulate fate to let a page be burned or kill someone without knowing his surname like Watari.

I would give it 4/10 it's no Dragonball Evolution but still not something worthwhile either.

 

That scene was the probably the most satisfying scene of the movie. I was egging it on, pure enjoyment. But I might have a blacker sense of humour than most...