And so here we have the second part of the DEATH NOTE saga, which really has to be seen in conjunction with the first film as in essence both movies are part of the same overall picture (in the same way that the LORD OF THE RINGS films can be watched individually but must be watched as a trilogy for the full effect). Pleasingly, DEATH NOTE 2 retains the same level of classy originality, proficient attention to technical details and high calibre acting as the first film, so I found it equally as good.
Of course, it's not the same beast and simply repeating the formula would have been a disappointment considering the pedigree set up by the first movie. This time around, the plot is a lot more complex, with additional characters and all manner of twists and turns that'll have your head spinning. By the time the ending comes, I admit I was a little confused by everything that was going on, but it does all work out if you think about it logically. I'd rather watch a film with lots going on than one with nothing, and the amount of detail in this film's story almost epic in scope.
Cast members from the first film all return in this one, and give performances just as fine too. Fujiwara and Matsuyama are given the bulk of the work and they do very well in portraying the classic battle between good and evil scaled down to just two men. Special mention goes to Erika Toda, who makes what could have been an irritating, one-dimensional pop star type character into a multi-layered human being. This time around there are two floating death gods on offer and the CGI animation is just as impressive as in the first film. Things build to a genuinely impressive climax that neatly puts a lid on the proceedings, although one spin-off sequel, L CHANGE THE WORLD, followed.
Of course, it's not the same beast and simply repeating the formula would have been a disappointment considering the pedigree set up by the first movie. This time around, the plot is a lot more complex, with additional characters and all manner of twists and turns that'll have your head spinning. By the time the ending comes, I admit I was a little confused by everything that was going on, but it does all work out if you think about it logically. I'd rather watch a film with lots going on than one with nothing, and the amount of detail in this film's story almost epic in scope.
Cast members from the first film all return in this one, and give performances just as fine too. Fujiwara and Matsuyama are given the bulk of the work and they do very well in portraying the classic battle between good and evil scaled down to just two men. Special mention goes to Erika Toda, who makes what could have been an irritating, one-dimensional pop star type character into a multi-layered human being. This time around there are two floating death gods on offer and the CGI animation is just as impressive as in the first film. Things build to a genuinely impressive climax that neatly puts a lid on the proceedings, although one spin-off sequel, L CHANGE THE WORLD, followed.