It’s a trend to hate on the new Netflix Death Note movie right now, everyone is doing it, ripping into it. I can see why people were critical of it, Death Note is a beloved franchise and the adaptation that director Adam Wingard made was without a doubt very different to what fans were (perhaps rightly) expecting from the movie. But I loved the movie, I really did. So I decided to come down from the ivory tower of Rick and Morty reviews to share my views on the movie with this here article. So I present to you, eight things about the movie that really worked and two things that really didn’t.

Positives

1: The Cast

I really enjoyed the casting for this movie, I think that every choice for it was honestly perfect. With one real standout, that nobody expected, being the amazing LakStanfieldnfeld as L, who carried the role so well, conveying a deep insecurity but also a great intellect, I won’t go into race because honestly it doesn’t matter, he was the best actor for the role and really did the character justice. Another standout is Margret Qualley as the deep and developed Mia Sutton, who really works with Nat Wollffs Light so well to create such an amazing dynamic on screen, where they play off as lovers and sociopathic rivals at the same time. But the one true best part of this cast deserves his own point for this.

2: Ryuk

Whoever convinced Willem Dafoe to play Ryuk is an utter genius, as he is truly astonishing as the character. Doing total justice with his signature creepy voice and odd expressions. He makes Ryuk into a character that you’d never even consider trusting, as Light does in the anime. Every time he is on the screen there is an unease, helped by the fact that every time we see him, he is almost totally shrouded in darkness, with only his weird orange eyes glowing away in the shadows. He’s one of the most perfect things in this movie and a true adaptation of such an iconic character.

3: The Fact it was so Different

I know that this point is something that would annoy a lot of people, but it’s true. In my opinion, it was the fact that this film was so different than anything before that made it so fun. This movie strips every aspect down to the bare bones of what Death Note is and then rebuilds a totally new world around those core themes, creating something that feels totally new but also very familiar all at the same time. This really works in the favour of the movie, as it means the story isn’t so new it’s nothing like the original, but so different that you don’t feel like you’re watching the same story again for the millionth time. This may be a problem with fans not wanting something new and different, but I for one really loved the differences.

4: The Gore (and CGI)

The movie was originally set to be released by Warner Bros, but after it was apparently heading more in a family friendly direction, it was picked up by Netflix who allowed the movie to have an R Rating, which it made full use of. The gore in this movie is utterly intense, with the first person Light kills, being decapitated by a ladder. The movie rarely lets up with the gore, as it has graphic violence throughout, something that was lacking in the four previous Death Note movies (all Japanese). This leads on to a point about the CGI in the movie, which was really nice, Ryuk looked intensely creepy in the few shots we saw of him in full light and a later scene where a Ferris wheel collapses looked amazing too.

5: Cinematography

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Out of all the points, I wanted to make, this is my favourite. The cinematography is amazing in this movie, from the wide panning shots of Seattle to the dark, neon lit scenes that are scattered throughout. Visually, this movie looks amazing, regardless of what you think about it as a story, you have to appreciate the amazing work done here. I put a little gallery for this point, just to illustrate some of the amazing shots because honestly, I couldn’t pick just one. The use of lighting to almost convey the emotions of characters is a technique I know is used a lot but used to great effect here. Honestly, I can’t say enough good about the shots in this film.

Negatives

1: The Writing

This is really a problem with this movie, honestly, some of the dialogue is just plain awful and as much as I enjoyed the film, I have to be honest, this was bad. The writing ranges from overly explaining every detail to the audience, to leaving us in the dark with nothing to actually explain what is happening. Other times it just feels wrong, like the writers trying and failing to convey what an actual human teenager would speak like. Some horrible examples include when Light tries to use the fact that he is underage to defend himself from being beaten up by someone, and a line where Watari, under the influence of the note, literally says the words “But I am obsessed with finding out the true name of L”, which in the context, just comes off as weird as hell.

2: Plot Holes

I watched this movie twice to try and help clarify what was actually going on with the plot holes. I found nothing. The main issue is that late on in the movie (spoilers) Mia reveals that she wants the note, aside from the fact that her motivations aren’t clear, it doesn’t make sense. Since she explains that she has been using a page torn from the note to write in names, she needs Light to “Officially transfer the note” to her, but this doesn’t make sense, as she could either just write his name on the page she has and pull the note from his cold dead hands, or better yet, just steal the damn book from him. It doesn’t make sense why someone who isn’t the “official keeper” of the note can still seemingly use it to the full of its abilities. That’s the biggest of the plot holes, there are more, but this one is so glaring that it just throws the whole movie and actually makes me like it a little less.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie, as a fan of the anime, the manga and the original Japanese films, I feel this is a solid story. No, it isn’t a direct page to screen adaptation of the manga, it was a stripped down and Americanized version of the story. However, it’s good enough to stand out as its own unique piece of entertainment, and one that’s fun to watch no less. I’d honestly recommend this movie to fans of the series, it’s worth it if you can get rid of your hang-ups about the differences.

Did you agree with me? Do you hate my guts for defending this movie? Do you think I should have included this as a point? Tell me down in the comments below or on Twitter @G33kP0p. For more like this, remember to hang around and keep it G33k.

Sources

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/23/16190242/death-note-director-adam-wingard-netflix-adaptation-interview-behind-the-scenes

http://goboiano.com/netflixs-death-note-director-wants-to-create-sequels/