Death Note
DEATH NOTE is based on the bestselling supernatural action
mystery manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi
Obata. With 15 million copies, the hit comic has finally been
adapted into two live-action feature films DEATH NOTE and Death
Note: The Last Name. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, widely known for
the popular monster film “Gamera” series, DEATH NOTE was first
released in Japan in 2006, becoming an instant smash hit. The
story begins when Light Yagami, an ace student 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.
Light, upset with the justice system, takes matters in his own
hands and vows to use the power of the Death Note to rid the
world of all evil...
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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
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Review
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We are very proud to be involved and happy to be involved. --Flea
(Base guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers)
About the Director
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*SHUSUKE KANEKO** *
Known internationally as a director of popular monster films such
as Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah and the Gamera trilogy,
Kaneko has a 30-year career in film and TV, and achieved his
greatest success with the Death Note films, to a record-breaking
domestic box office in Japan in 2006, as local films overtook
Hollywood films in the box office for the first time in 20 years.
His recent credits include a manga horror film adaptation "God's
Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand (2006), and the manga-based ninja
action film Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005).
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