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NEWS: Clip for Netflix's Live-Action Death Note Film Shows Ryuk, Light's Meeting


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matthewlow



Joined: 04 Feb 2004
Posts: 147
Location: San Ramon, California
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:52 am Reply with quote
Just back from Netflix's premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. People that are straight purists will likely be disappointed, but as a different American take on the Death Note story I found it still be a good movie while keeping many of the great parts of the original along with new parts that add to it.

Some thoughts, but figured spoiler tags are best here.
spoiler[I found a couple parts to be a bit unrealistic (Mia smoking in the opening scene while in the middle of cheerleading at school, police not tracking internet sites visited to easily narrow in on Light), while other parts creative (how Light pulled everything off, Mia and Watari's places in the story). Many of the characters are different or even out of character in places (L actually loses it and resorts to using a gun), and some key plot points are gone due to time. Some characters are completely written out, like Sayu and the entire Kira task force.

I felt the ending to be a bit open ended but perhaps I need to analyze the last scene a bit more for a hint of what L really did in the end. Light isn't portrayed as much of the villain as he is in the anime, and it's interesting how some of those roles were shifted. This part may disappoint people, but I felt it was a very interesting take on approaching the Light character, and is ultimately different. Another character, in the end, plays his original role, or at least I felt that way.

Some parts felt unnecessary, like profanity that seemed out of place and parts that seem added in that just would boost the parental guidance rating up a notch. That said, there are some very creative and exciting new parts that felt like Death Note in a fresh way.

I recommend viewing it without the lens that it needs to be the original. It's not. It's a fresh take, and one that I think it's pretty decent for what it aims to do.]
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BodaciousSpacePirate
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Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Posts: 3019
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:02 am Reply with quote
KutovoiAnton wrote:
So... Instead of killing criminals, Light kills bullies now. So much for a God of the New World Laughing


Reminds me a bit of Bully la Bully.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15550
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:10 am Reply with quote
BTW, the Scarjo Ghost in the Shell will be out on home video in a few days. At least the people involved on that film tried to be faithful to the anime in some way.
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SWAnimefan



Joined: 10 Oct 2014
Posts: 634
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 6:04 am Reply with quote
The only good thing out of this Netflix adaptation is Willem Dafoe voicing Ryuk. The guy absolutely kills it!
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FackuIkari



Joined: 31 Dec 2013
Posts: 411
Location: Argentina
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:04 am Reply with quote
I would complain about that Ryuk isn't the same as in the anime and manga but since Light, L and Misa are different too I don't really care, let's run with it and see what they can do with that.

And honestly I like that's different and not trying to be a remake of the anime/manga, that story is done, take that and make something else, I'm fine with that.
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Beansprout Midget



Joined: 17 Apr 2016
Posts: 145
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:21 am Reply with quote
While I don't mind the trailer...my god does Ryuk look AMAZING. If I wasn't fairly confident in this movie before, Ryuk would've sealed the deal. I'm checking out this movie now for him.

Very Happy
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IG



Joined: 02 Oct 2015
Posts: 60
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:22 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
I don't think I like Ryuk actively encouraging Light to use the Death Note. The whole point is that it's Light's self-righteousness that causes him to use the notebook out of some grand design to bring justice to the world, not Ryuk. Ryuk is just there to watch. But I do like the performance of Dafoe in itself.
Well to be air they did the same thing in the drama series . Remeber Ryuk is doing this for entertainment mainly.
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MrTerrorist



Joined: 20 Oct 2010
Posts: 1348
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:25 am Reply with quote
Dafoe as Ryuk was great.
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razberry_yum



Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 169
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:29 pm Reply with quote
I've always wished that a live action adaptation would keep the school idol persona of Light, since the Light in the manga came off as being basically a younger Patrick Bateman type, but for some reason they keep on changing him into being a social outcast from the get-go which, imho, detracts from the allure of the character. I also love that in the original Ryuk is just as surprised as we are when he sees all the name Light has already written into the book by the time he meets him, which was indicative of how much of a egotistical sociopath Light is or has become as the result of his newfound power. It's a bit disappointing that the new movie changes that pretty crucial detail as well.

I know that when a series is adapted into a movie format, changes and cuts have to be made in order to fit in all the material into the less than 3 hour timeframe, but when the changes hint to the fact that perhaps the filmmakers didn't really appreciate the point of the characters or the beauty of the series in its original format, then I don't think it's unreasonable for those of us who loved the source material to gripe about the changes. From all appearances, it seems that's the case with this American adaptation of Death Note. It would be nice if the movie ends up eradicating all my initial misgivings, but since I already don't have high hopes for this version of Light (his vocal fry is annoying and what I've seen of his performance is more of the subpar quality), I'm not going to hold my breath. William Dafoe's Ryuk might be the only good thing about this new adaptation.
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razberry_yum



Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 169
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:32 pm Reply with quote
Random Name wrote:
I don't remember Light being such a b****. Also I kinda wish they would have just used the death note premise without reusing Light. I mean still keep Ryuk but a different wielder of the death note.


I would've applauded them for that and it would have negated some of the more obvious criticisms about their adaptation. We wouldn't have so many preconceived notions if the characters weren't called Light and L. Even "Mia" is too close to Misa. Just change all the characters, have a new protagonist discover the Death Note. That would at least be refreshing.
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 6275
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:39 pm Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
I don't think I like Ryuk actively encouraging Light to use the Death Note. The whole point is that it's Light's self-righteousness that causes him to use the notebook out of some grand design to bring justice to the world, not Ryuk. Ryuk is just there to watch. But I do like the performance of Dafoe in itself.


I don't see it as any worse than him basically sitting back while Light uses his Death Note to do his job for him. It at least it keeps him from looking lazy and disengaged and being there for the sake of being there.

Random Name wrote:
I don't remember Light being such a b****.


End of the anime.

Morry wrote:
Losing faith this adaptation gets what made Death Note "mainstream" in the first place. Bring back my egotistical psychopath please.


It became mainstream using an aspect that wasn't remotely new in 2003?


#868974 wrote:
What's wrong with the original anime/movies? This seems like some Michael Bay contrived bs imho. Just one man's opinion who hates remakes of already well established sources that don't rely on special effects and gimmicks as opposed to an interesting story. I guess Battle Royale is next.... oh wait.... Hunger Games.... never mind.


Well.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale#Television

razberry_yum wrote:
=

I know that when a series is adapted into a movie format, changes and cuts have to be made in order to fit in all the material into the less than 3 hour timeframe, but when the changes hint to the fact that perhaps the filmmakers didn't really appreciate the point of the characters or the beauty of the series in its original format, then I don't think it's unreasonable for those of us who loved the source material to gripe about the changes.


If you're the type of fan to expect an adaptation to basically be a 1:1 adaptation of a work down to having the characters to practically act and behave the same exact way as they do in the existing work....it kind of is. Not the same as complaining about Optimus having flame decals on his body or Bumblebee not being a Volkwagon but stlll....
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razberry_yum



Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 169
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 5:26 pm Reply with quote
BadNewsBlues wrote:
If you're the type of fan to expect an adaptation to basically be a 1:1 adaptation of a work down to having the characters to practically act and behave the same exact way as they do in the existing work....it kind of is. Not the same as complaining about Optimus having flame decals on his body or Bumblebee not being a Volkwagon but stlll....


Is it really a 1:1 expectation if I just wish that LA Light seemed more like the original Light instead of the loser tweaker dude we're stuck with? Imagine if Patrick Bateman was played by Steve Buscemi (not that I think Steve Buscemi is a loser tweaker dude, but he's as far from Christian Bale as I can imagine, appearance-wise) and his character was a high school drop-out just hanging out on a street corner dealing drugs, how that would have changed American Psycho. You don't think people should be able to complain if that had been the case with that movie? Now I might be going a little extreme, I admit, since these are just the vibes I'm getting with the new Death Note movie, but I hope you can at least understand where I'm coming from with that analogy.
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residentgrigo



Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 2579
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:13 pm Reply with quote
Light killed bullies at first in the life action show too, no one cared then though... Hm.
This actually makes him more evil but he is a killer of cops too, so eh. Good scene and the pacing is slower than the trailers suggested. Still crossing both fingers.

While i am here, how much money did Netflix spend on Bright? Who knew that 90 mil. can buy you blockbuster effects and one of the few stars that can still open films at the same time.
Someone of the executives put on the big spending pants in 2017.
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relyat08



Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Posts: 4125
Location: Northern Virginia
PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 10:21 pm Reply with quote
residentgrigo wrote:

While i am here, how much money did Netflix spend on Bright? Who knew that 90 mil. can buy you blockbuster effects and one of the few stars that can still open films at the same time.
Someone of the executives put on the big spending pants in 2017.


I thought the entire film budget was $40 million?
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Woomy



Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 110
PostPosted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:19 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
I don't think I like Ryuk actively encouraging Light to use the Death Note. The whole point is that it's Light's self-righteousness that causes him to use the notebook out of some grand design to bring justice to the world, not Ryuk. Ryuk is just there to watch. But I do like the performance of Dafoe in itself.


Dude, Ryuk was basically just giving Light a reminder that he now has a supernatural notebook capable of delivering death. In no way does that tell you you can go as far as to assume Ryuk will somehow be this master manipulator driving the entire plot. The plot is still the same and Light is still a megalomaniac on a self righteous crusade to rid the world of people he thinks should die.

And Light still chose to write Kenny's name in the book real quick. By freaking decapitation no less. And it didn't seem like anyone needed to twist his arm. I assume this is a scene after he already used the book, but still wasn't convinced as he had not yet seen its power first hand.

Like the source material. When he killed some hostage taker and didn't anna believe the book was legit until he made that biker get hit by a truck in front of him.

Freaking CONTEXT people.
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