Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Last Name
Comment: This second Death Note live action film follows the in the same style as the previous film with an odd mix of sticking close to the book in places alongside some major deviations from the story. This movie continues the mental duel between Light and L as the two start to work more closely together to catch Kira but things are complicated when the model and actress Misa Amane gains a second Death Note and decides to help Kira in his cause.
Just as with the first film, The Last Name is a great film that despite the changes to the story does generally work quite well. The CGI on the Shinigami is still great and although some of the acting does leave something to be desired, the main characters themselves are good versions of the characters from the manga. The changes made to the plot are mostly understandable due to considerations of time and practicality and this may alienate some of the more hardcore fans of the franchise but personally I think the changes are very well done, keeping many of the major events of the series but with many of the details changed.
Although neither of the live action films quite live up to either the manga or anime versions of Death Note, they are both still greatly enjoyable and should be a must watch for any Death Note fan.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very inaccurate but well worth seeing.
Comment: I saw the first Death Note movie and became an avid Death Note collector. Then I saw this film. Though I enjoyed it it didn't quite live up to the books in the same way as the first film did. It brought the ultimate ending of book 12 forward to book 7 and made a lot of changes in the process. I thought the loss of the Yotsuba group from the story was a shame and didn't particulary agree with having Takada and Higuchi combined into one role but with time limitations I suppose something like this was inevitable. Having said that, this was still a greatly enjoyable film and well worth seeing if you've watched the first. But not a patch on the books. I hope you have found this review usefull.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The final battle
Comment: Death Note 2:The Last Name(based on the hit anime and manga) starts after the end of the first.Now the game is higher than ever Light and L and working on the same playing field and who ever and the one to lose...will die.
Once again the acting is great Light and L and great in this and Misa was even good (a suprise to say the least)even minor cast were great. The only problem some fans of the manga and anime will have is the ending is new but the makers were told to have only two films they didnt have the time to do the whole story.
Thus we miss these two from the manga: Mello and Near (N and M) but that isnt a big deal.
So any Death Note fan should check out both films they are a treat!
----Alex Gradwell/Venomtheevil----
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Last Name. Whose Name Will It Be?
Comment: This DVD set sees the release of the second live action death note movie.
Story wise, The last name is a direct continution from the previous film, as it sees Death Notes protagonist Light Yagami aka Kira (Tatsuya Fujiwara) continuing his killings in order to create his ideal world. This time round however, he has teamed up with the genius, yet eccentric detective known as L (Kenichi Matsuyama) in the hopes of revealing his true identity so he can finally defeat him. However, things are complicated when a second Kira arrives on the scene, the Japanese pop idol Misa Amane (Erika Toda) who also happens to be a Kira worshipper.
What ensues is yet more, tense, supernatural thriller brilliance full of twists and turns at every corner, that will leave you glued to your TV screen for the 2hours plus that it lasts. Like the first movie, is pretty loyal to its original source manga, however, it does differ quite a bit in parts as only half of the entire Death note story was converted to live action film. So some bits had to be changed in order to bring a satisfying conclusion without messing up the story too much. I think it is a good idea that the movies were made this way, because it means that even if you know the death note manga inside out, there are still plenty of surprises in store for you with the movies.
This movie is constantly backed up by some truly suberb acting. Kenichi Matsuyama ultimately shines as he portrays his character L. As well as being an intriguing character, L also provides some comedy in the movie with the ridiculous amount of cakes and sweets he eats in every scene, as well as one superb bit where he is wearing a hilarious mask over his face while out in a public place. Tatsuya Fujiwara, best known for his role in the Battle Royale movies, pulls through with another solid performance. This time, we get to see an even more maniacal side to Light's personality which is briliantly acted by Fujiwara.
This DVD set contains a plethora of extras such as the making of, production diary video, press conference, premiere at Tokyo Forum as well as some trailers and an image gallery.
The first thing that I noticed about this set is the lovely presentation, which is the same style as what the first movie looked like. Once you remove the outer sleeve from the case, you will notice that the cases design looks like a miniature death note. On the inside there are a few pages with character profiles and death note trivia on them, as well as the rules of death note and some blank pages. Behind these 24 pages are the 2 discs that contain the movie and the special features.
If you are looking for an intense action packed movie, then you should look elsewhere. Death Note instead focuses on the intricate battle of wits between two genius minds, while bringing forward the themes of morality and what really defines justice. So if you have seen the first movie, there is no reason not to check this one out as well. If you are new to death Note its worth watching the first movie as it is somewhat more accesible and easier to digest than the manga or anime. If you enjoy the movie you may be glad to know that the 3rd death note movie entitled 'L change the world' is coming out on DVD over here towards the end of 2008, but before that you need to check out the manga and anime (if you havent already) as they are absouteley essential.
So Death Note 2: The last name, is an excellent adaptation of a Japanese Cult Phenomenon as well as a superb sequel and is truly great addition to the franchise and to your DVD collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Even better than the original
Comment: The second Death Note movie picks up immediately where the original left off, but tweaks the death-by-scribbling-a-person's-name formula just enough to avoid it becoming repetitive.
This time a second death note is introduced, along with a new killer in the form of bouncy talk show host Misa Amane. She's given a potentially intriguing backstory - after her family were horribly murdered, a chubby little demon sacrificed himself to prolong her life. But as soon as she runs into Light, Amane becomes a pretty pathetic character who purely exists to do his bidding. It highlights the problem that both movies have with creating strong, complex female characters, perhaps hinting at a squarely male adolescent target audience.
The Last Name also features a new demon in the form of the floppy haired, earring-wearing Rem, who watches over Amane. The late scenes in which Rem mooches around the police station after the cops obtain the power to see him is entertaining, but he's far less morally ambiguous (and therefore less fun) than the apple-munching Ryuk. Thankfully Ryuk is also back, and though he doesn't get quite so much screen time, he still nabs the best scenes - the strange sequence in which Amane presents him with an apple and he goes wild to a sudden burst of rock music is hilarious.
At the heart of the film is the continuing battle of wits between Light and L, which follows in the tradition of the best detective fiction. Although the Death Note movies initially seem to involve a fairly simplistic battle between good and evil, the line is often blurred. After all, both Light and Amane initially start off with the aim to rid the world of criminals and murderers before power corrupts them, and in one sequence the police employ a form of torture to try and extract information
The movie manages to weave complex ideas about justice and power into its bright comic book plot, and cleverly makes both L and Light equally engaging so that your allegiances are constantly torn. At 141 minutes, it's quite long, and many of the intricate death note rules are rather difficult to follow, but this is another highly entertaining supernatural thriller.
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![Death Note 2 - The Last Name (2 Disc Limited Edition) [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DBa1xTenL._SL160_.jpg)
