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.
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.