Review of Death Note (2017) by Sarah J — 03 Sep 2017

This movie is poorly adapted, removing all the substance and charm the manga and anime held. Not only does the white-washing and Americanization of the cast inhibit the film's ability to compel an audience, but the attempt to cram the detailed plot and character development of the original into a 100 minute Hollywood movie fails terribly.

None of the characters are remotely as interesting or likable as they should be (namely L and Ryuk). All the changes to the Death Note rules as well as to the plot overall are not justified well enough, nor benefit the storyline.

The development of Light and Mia's relationship comes out of nowhere, and L's communication with Light is out of character. As a long time fan of Death Note, this movie upset me over and over again.

I would not recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether or not they are familiar with the anime/manga beforehand.