Death Note

Maybe I will be a little bit more lenient than the other reviewers on this site. I know the original comic book story and I’ve read it. However, I had no idea the Japanese created a film based on it a couple of years ago. Because of that, I have enjoyed this American version even more. Sure, the beginning of the movie sucks, because Nat Wolff stumbles upon the death note like a Balkan huy stumbling upon a nuclear warhead. After a rather rushed beginning, however, a story equally interesting as the one in the comic book is set in motion. Sure, there are some ambiguities and contradictions with the comic book, but that doesn’t change the fact that Adam Wingard did a really good job with the premise. The eighties-sounding music creates a great atmosphere, and the well-developed storyline holds your interest all the way to the ending credits. In the end I was really satisfied. (21/01/2018)

I understand everything that was presented, I understand why Adam Wingard wants to bring the material closer to the American audience and simplify the background, why Ryuk is more straightforward (and therefore unfortunately also almost never sophisticated). But with all of this comes a lack of understanding of the entire concept of the battle between two brains. Light remains a highly intelligent Kira, and L remains a master of deduction, always on the trail of his prey. However, they clash in a sadly half-baked duel of emotionally overwhelmed individuals, where the former happily reveals his secret to a girl who has no reason to trust him and becomes her devoted thoughtless doormat – and the latter (perhaps due to lack of sleep?) gradually turns into an impulsive nerve-wrecker. The resulting film is then a pleasantly fast-paced thriller with excellent soundtrack and fabulous visuals, but it understandably deviates from the logic of the legendary Death Note brand halfway through its duration. And that's bad. Netflix should have taken matters into their own hands and gone straight for a grand miniseries instead of a modest film. There, the characters would have humor, depth, and meaning. (20/10/2017)