L: Change the WorLd

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L: Change the WorLd, directed by Hideo Nakata, is a spin-off film of the Death Note movie series. The series is based on the manga Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. However, this film follows an original storyline. The film was released in Japan on February 9, 2008, Hong Kong on February 7, 2008 and Singapore on February 21, 2008.

1 Plot
2 Intent
3 Reception
4 Cast
5 DVD release
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Plot

Ken'ichi Matsuyama reprises his role as L Lawliet from the previous Death Note films. The film chronicles the final 23 days of L's life, and follows L as he solves one final case. L is the protagonist of this film. L has to stop a bioterrorist group that aims to wipe out much of humanity. A virus with ten times the infectiousness of Ebola killed everyone except for one boy in a village in Thailand. L takes the survivor and a junior high school girl named Maki Nikaido under his wing.^[1]

Shunji Fujimura also reprises his role as Watari, but, dying in The Last Name, he is dead early in this film. Despite being depicted on the promotional poster, Misa Amane and the Death God Ryuk have brief cameos in the film, appearing on screen for less than thirty seconds each. A video still of Light Yagami is also used in the film.

The film was initially intended to chronicle the events before L Lawliet met Kira, and when Naomi and L worked together. Instead, the film chronicles the last 23 days of L's life, after the Kira/Death Note Saga takes place.

[edit] Intent

Hideo Nakata told The Daily Yomiuri that he wanted to exhibit L's "human side" that was not exhibited in the Death Note series.^[1]

[edit] Reception

Up until March 5, 2008, there was total of 2,200,000 attendance (a total of approximately 250,000,000 yen) for this film. March 5 was also Ken'ichi Matsuyama's birthday, so he celebrated both his birthday and the hit of the film.^[2]

On Yahoo! Movies, the average User Review results have been 4 out of 5 stars^[3] with fans praising the acting, but criticizing the slow pace of the story.

Derek Elley of Variety described the film as "a lame spinoff" with many plot holes, absence of the mind games in the Death Note films, and a lack of suspense.^[4]