Adam Lark
Stop me if you have heard this before, “I never seen/read what this movie is based on.” Well, welcome to the Dojo of Ignorance for the Source Material yet again. I have NEVER seen Death Note as an anime and it would serve as a huge disservice for me to assume it as good or as worse than the subject matter that this film is based upon. However, viewing this a film (albeit a Netflix one shot) there is either a tangent or a tantrum to be had here. Let’s get into it without any decapitations.
Incredibly, as Death Note has a huge following with such a legendary element or two within the Anime community, I was more reminded of high school movie tropes, faded and reignited twist plot points and overall terrible decisions that eerily remind me of many cool movie concepts from the past that were executed so poorly. By that last point, I mean… why watch it at all besides the cool visuals and the violence, right? Well, we SHOULD be invested. We need to not only witness actions and decisions by these characters, we need a deeper understanding and feeling for it in order for the viewing experience to matter.
Let’s start with the film’s four largest problems, and then a fifth. First, the characters are highly unlikely to be empathized with. I gave not one shit about any of them. To me, they appear as the typical characters caught in the crossfire of something greater. And? The consistency of what they seek within the turmoil is definitely there, but the care is not. The only two characters I really enjoyed and cared about are Ryuk, played virtuously by a charismatic Willem Dafoe, and L, a neurotic FBI detective with a penchant for candy, obscuring his face like a ninja and the Japanese language, played by Lakeith Stanfield. Those two characters were actually very entertaining to watch – yet, one cannot care too much without the expectations wearing thin. Ryuk is excellent when the waves of terrible plot devices and limited screen time don’t drown him. This reminds me of the Joker in Suicide Squad with a subtle difference, HE MATTERED! Okay, not so subtle. L, on the other hand, was pretty cool to watch and was the straight character for all of us to follow as the stupidity rages on. Even then, this character is driven into the wrong places and does not provide any personal connectivity as in the third act his forbearance is completely destroyed, along with the film’s actual structure.
As I have mentioned earlier, this film makes many stupid decisions. But how could that go wrong? The movie is here for the visuals right? You are barking up the wrong tree if that is your mentality for a film that demands your conscience when viewing. I personally despised the Evil Dead the remake for a similar reason. The Evil Dead remake did not request your morality, nor your brain to process the weight or beauty of Casa Blanca. However, flying over to the other end of the spectrum in order to embolden blood splatter and all its glory without any sense being made with the character or the plot is still lame. I have to care about something, I want the characters to die for a reason or else I would go back to 2004 when Saw came out and its attempts would seem like a wise decision.
Okay, back to the matter at hand. I will make this painless. The second problem with the film is the pacing. “Let’s do a montage where we kill off terrorists,” they said. “It will fit perfectly!” they said. NOPE. Give us a scene. Just one. With more exposition as to how this would change the world and how this plan would rinse its hands of any wrongdoing. But again, nope. Still, the Death Note is bad. Should be feared. Yadda yadda. Every decision has a downside in these films yet the weight of this new development went from killing off kids that pissed you off in school as a high schooler to killing off terrorists on a large scale WITH. A. MONTAGE. Call me overly careful, but this demands more of an experience than just a quick brush over to make the character in his wrongdoings seem justified. What a robbery of substance and movie, never make me ever again demand exposition from any other film. Ever. Exposition has been the enemy of amazing films for decades and don’t make me side with the enemy of my enemy here.
The film’s third problem, glad-handing the American audience. This film, from the very first frame, offered me nothing more than rehashing the “American High School” film reminder: most of those films suck because they are not accurate. Aside from John Hughes movies, and I’ll even give the American Pie movies a slide, the very concept of the American High School films were briefly summed up in (well, bad movie as well that I really chuckle with) Not Another Teen Movie. This movie in its high schooler moments are about the archetypal bully that is just… THERE, the newly-coined “nerd rage” or the ill-fitting geeky guys getting the hot girl all had me rolling my eyes. These films never got it right in the first place as they undermine the high school experience with plot devices that are nothing more than contrived and easily copy/pasted.
Okay, the film’s fourth biggest problem, the twists. I know, I know. We either love them or hate them depending on the movie. This one was…. What you’d expect. Exactly. No holds barred. You will see this one coming from a mile away, folks. Power corrupts and evil divides, such as the nature of blurring the lines. Twists in movies like Batman Begins and The Sixth Sense (the only time for our favorite director does that work) that I can recall on short notice were welcomed and really fun to watch. This is just…. Meh. I watched on as these twists came down the pike winding my hand forward as to request this movie to speed it up and get it over with. Anyways, this review is taking too long.
The fifth and final problem with the film is not its largest, but should be addressed. The film could be put on mute and still not be enjoyed. Out of all its terrible narratives and faux philosophies when moving the plot towards the next death, you can actually visually watch this film fail within its own halls of great visuals and impressive special effects. I mean it. This film fails right before your eyes without an ounce of dialogue – one of its terrible weaknesses that drove these characters from a place of wanting to like them from the first frame set upon them to their first sentences. It’s as if a child’s first words were to sound like Gilbert Godfried, I am not shitting you.
Anyways, I won’t bash the film entirely. It was a great visual treat while they last a la YouTube clips. But the coherence, care and execution (hardy harrr) were boldly misfired. Willem Dafoe and Lakeith Stanfield are good here, but wasted. Again, as a non-fan of this lore, I can still be a fan of films and tell you one thing: this bombed. Enjoy the death scenes in a montage if you’d like. If you want to be hooked in and roped around a great plot that would make you care for it as palatable experience worthwhile, you’ll be disappointed you didn’t just wait for the YouTube clips.
Lark Score: 5/10
