As far as I can make out (it wasn't that easy), Death Note: The Last Name, follows the trials and tribulations of a Japanese high-school student cum supernatural, crime-fighting, serial-killer, Light Yagami. In the film's prequel, Yagami comes across a magical notebook that gives its owner the power to kill any person by writing their name in its pages. Naturally - who wouldn't? - he uses this power to try and rid the world of all of its criminals by giving them spontaneous heart failures, a brutally murderous practice that of course catches the attention of the national media, who dub the invisible vigilante 'Kira' ('Killer').

At the opening of The Last Name it transpires that someone else has got hold of a similar notebook ('Kira II'), as an anonymous video tape is sent into a television station reiterating the death-to-all-crime manifesto and more bad sorts start dying on the streets. What follows is a mind-bending series of pacts, double crossings, plot twists and odd memory losses as Yagami and the new Kira attempt to continue their reign of terror (justice?) whilst avoiding detection by teen-aged super-sleuth 'L' (a fantastically eccentric, mochi-guzzling Ken'Ichi Matsuyama) who has so far remained immune to the powers of the notebook because his real name is a closely guarded secret and therefore cannot be written down.

So, despite being one of the biggest box-office successes ever to hit Japan, Death Note: The Last Name, as you may have already guessed, is a wonderfully, bizarrely bonkers film. Its condensed plot (it was adapted from an epic manga book), extreme characters (17 year-olds with the will and power to murder millions upon millions of people) and surreal CGI effects (did I mention that each notebook is guarded by 7 foot, winged god of death?), as well as the many evident cultural differences between Japan and, well, everywhere else, make for a fast paced and often hilariously baffling cinematic experience. However, its none the less enjoyable for its madness. The film's central dilemma - whether murder can be considered just for the benefit of society as a whole - is an interesting one, and in the depiction of the struggle between the Kiras and the law there has a surprising lack of bias on either side, which keeps the audience guessing right up until the final plot twist. If you hate anime's labyrinthine narratives and seemingly illogical characterisation, you will probably hate this, but approach with a clear head after a good night's sleep and you'll find plenty to enjoy and puzzle over in this slick, strikingly unusual blockbuster.

Death Note: The Last Name is showing at the Institute of Contemporary Arts from 4-24 July.

Adam Welch

London Kicks 2008

Written by:
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Adam is a one-man industry awaiting investors. In the meantime he writes for London Kicks and Vogue.co.uk and lives on thin air and noodle packets.

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