The Death Note franchise takes on the question of what L did with his last 23 days. Of course this storyline is unique to the live action series, not the manga or anime series. Death Note: L change the World is fun, fantastic, full of action and lots and lots of L being L.

Highlights

Right off the bat we jump back to pre-Death Note and get a quick history lesson as the 23 last days of L are spelled out. Then comes the echo terrorists who have stolen a deadly virus and plan to do something about the Human plight on the Earth. L is alerted to the plot by a co-detective, F, who sends a young boy to him. This boy is a key to the puzzle that L must solve. The great part of this pairing is that L is neither a good baby sitter or someone who understands children. The Boy is also into salty food instead of the sugar diet of L. 

Another twist is that a teenage girl is left on L's doorstep. She is another major key to the puzzle. L is saddled with two kids and has no clue how to deal with them, but is able to connect just because he is so very eccentric. This leads to some very humorous moments and some of the over the top sap that could have been left out. 

Although this story was to set up the end of L and the possible emergence of Near. Yes, if you are familiar with the manga and anime series you will be surprised to see that Near is introduced in this movie. I am not going to give the surprise away, so you will have to watch to find it out yourself.

Overall

Being a huge fan of Death Note and finding the live action movies such a departure from the anime and manga, I would have to say that this movie just flat out made me smile. It created more twist and turns that make no sense if being tied to the manga and anime. All the same, I find it to be tons of fun. The acting leaves a lot to be desired, but for this it doesn't matter; the story is strange enough to overcome poor acting.

The production is slick and beautifully done. The essence of Death Note was upheld and maintained throughout the movie. The extras are fun but seemed to be more about the special two day theatrical screening that was held in the spring. I would have thought these would have been removed.

This movie is for all of the Death Note fans out there. For those who are not familiar with the franchise it might be better to start with part one of the live action movie, but if you are looking for two hours of fun and plenty of action, and you don't need to have a full understanding of the backstory, this is for you.

ComicOnline gives Death Note: L change the World, 4.5 out of 5 Angel Crepes.