Let's be clear the Death Note movies were works of art and mostly loyal to the original material, the performances were fantastic and they delivered on every front.I was deeply concerned about this L themed spin off for a number of reasons, primarily because it's very existence felt like a cash grab.Immediately it felt like it was part of the franchise, integrated into the last film and following on nicely.Of course if the movies had followed the original material this movie for obvious reasons would never have been possible.Trouble is now it was entirely L's story and could he carry a film by himself? Honestly, no. And that's a shame because bringing L into other cases could in itself be brilliant and worthy of an entire television show but somehow, someway it simply didn't work.L himself was great, the actor once again knocks it out of the park but is dropped into a non-Death Note themed story that simply isn't worthy of him or the franchise.Thanks to him and the general quality of the film it's still quite good but isn't as smart as we've come to expect from the series and just not that great.Add a team of interesting characters with L and I stand by this being perfect for a television show but as a movie it just doesn't stack up.The Good: L is perfect once again Is following on from the events of the main movies The Bad: Story is very bland Not as well written as the Death Note movies Isn't particularly intelligent Things I Learnt From This Movie: Even when provided with an excellent lead a movie can still fall flat

The third and final film in the DEATH NOTE trilogy isn't quite as good as the first two films: they were back-to-back thrillers that slotted perfectly together into a quite wonderful double bill. This is more spin-off than sequel, with the fantasy trappings relegated to the sidelines and the emphasis on a traditional thriller centring around L's final 23 days on earth. Much of the plot centres around the outbreak of a highly contagious virus, reminding me of the Dustin Hoffman starrer, OUTBREAK. L is the protagonist thrown into this slightly predictable plot and much of the film's charm comes from his character.This is the film that seeks to humanise L so that he becomes more than just a series of quirky gestures. The third quarter of the film basically departs from the thriller aspects and just focuses on our hero hanging out with a couple of kids and getting involved in society. Kenichi Matsuyama is absolutely wonderful in this role and his presence alone kept me glued to the screen when otherwise this would have been nothing more than a forgettable, convoluted thriller. RING director Hideo Nakata enjoys playing up the grisly aspects of the virus outbreak, with lots of bleeding pustules and eyeballs, and throws in a couple of stand-out moments along the way (L's way of boarding the airliner and the village set-piece are highlights here). Although the supporting cast is populated by strong actors, none of the other characters are ever more than one-dimensional so the film's a bit frustrating in that respect. To be fair it's not a great film at all really, but it is a watchable one – and most of that is down to Matsuyama's presence.

I have seen Death Note and for me it was extremely boring. Nothing really happens except a lot of blah blah. I must admit that I haven't seen the anime of Death Note but still you can make it attractive for non readers of the books. The only thing that I liked as a horror buff was the scene at the laboratory where a scientist in injecting himself with the virus. The way he changes and eventually get burned is well done. Sadly for me that was the most enjoying part. I guess that by clocking in over 2 hours is a bit too long. The main reason that people are watching this is for L but I didn't enjoy him at all. And don't get me wrong, I'm into Eastern flicks and even HKIII flicks but this one, this one surely wont change the world.

I am a big fan of Death Note and was very satisfied with the 'stunning conclusion' as promised on the DVD case. I think L is a very intriguing character and it was interesting to see a different side to the previous L we had encountered in Death Note 1 and 2. I think Kenichi Matsuyama is a remarkable actor and played his role exceptionally. I heard that he put a lot of his own thoughts and ideas into the character, who he seems to be very attached to from what I've seen in interviews. I can't imagine any other actor who could have played the role as well as Kenichi Matsuyama. He brings a kind of mystery and charm to the character, and you instantly feel drawn to him. The plot itself is attention-grabbing and it was nice to have a change to the usual Death Note story line. I think any more movies following that story line would have become slightly repetitive. The leap through different stages of time helped the viewer to understand elements they may not have fully understood from Death Note 1 and 2. The ending was well written and slightly heart-breaking, I still always feel like crying every time I hear L say his last line. Overall, I think it was a superb movie and definitely worth watching if you are a fan of Death Note.