Light Yagami has now joined the team in pursuit of the serial killer known as Kira. Although L still strongly suspects that Light is the killer known as Kira, he goes along with the plan perhaps to better monitor the activities of Light. Meanwhile Light Yagami is still trying to find out the real name of L so he can kill him off with his Death Note.

To further complicate matters, a new rash of killings has occurred all over the world, claimed by another person as Kira. Light and L are both perplexed by these killings. Light Yagami first learns the identity of the other Kira and now they join forces to get rid of L. Will L be able to solve this puzzle before he is killed?

What lessened my enthusiasm for Death Note : The Last Name would have been the lack of one on one mind games between Light and L. In the first movie, this would have been my primary reason for enjoying the film. There was always this intense chess like match between Light and L going mano mano. Although the two are still going at it in the sequel, more sub-plots are introduced which diluted the intense one on one feel of the original. The new sub-plots concerned two characters who came into possession of the Death Note. These two characters were Misa (who worshiped Light) and Takada (a vengeful news reporter), who were fun in a campy way, but took away from the intense mind games between Light and L.

Throughout the movie L seemed to always be one step behind Light and even (gasp!) lost an actual chess match with Light in the beginning of the movie. I was surprised by the imbalance in intellect between the two, but then with the conclusion of the film, I realized L was doing the good ole rope-a-dope for most of the film. This led me to believe that he intentionally lost the chess match, probably to boost Light’s ego and possibly to let his guard down a notch. Clever dude.

Although the plot was complex with multitudes of double crosses and betrayals a few head scratchers did appear :

1.) When Takada was being monitored by hidden video cameras, they all saw her talking to herself (while in actuality she was talking to Rem the God of Death). Yet, why didn’t L and the police force notice the times Light and Misa talked to themselves when they were being videotaped ?

2.) When Misa returns to L’s HQ’s with the supposedly fake Death Note, why did Light see Ryuk the God of Death after touching her notebook?

Even with those quibbles, Death Note : The Last Name did provide for a fun movie going experience in the manner of a suspenseful and at times campy movie. The movie should have ended with the final showdown between Light and L, but the movie labored on - perhaps to stay faithful to the manga. Although the length of movie felt long and the intense one on one mind games between Light and L were less apparent in the sequel, Death Note : The Last Name is still worthwhile to check out. If nothing more than as a fun diversion from whatever is occupying your time.