In the tradition of The Ring and The Grudge comes yet another excellent Japanese film series that will no doubt “inspire” American film makers into their duplication.

This DVD set contains both Death Note movies and loads of special features on two discs, as well as a special booklet with info about the film, cast and crew.

The main character, Light Yagami is a law student and son of the chief of police who has come to resent crime in all its forms and believe that criminals should simply be wiped off the face of the Earth. A bit like Chuck Norris.

Luckily, while returning home one night, Light happens upon a notebook lying in the middle of the road – the Death Note, a supernatural book that kills people when their name is written in it. By touching the book, Light is able to see Ryuk, a mischievous God of Death and guardian of the Death Note.

Light sets to work, using the Death Note to kill violent criminals who have escaped incarceration (and in a country where 96% of murderers are caught, this leaves a confusingly endless list of Light’s potential victims). Using the name ‘Kira’, Light starts to become an underground cult hero, polarising the Japanese community into supporters who think he is creating a better society, and people who think he is no better than the murderers he executes. (see Chuck Norris for comparisons)

As ‘Kira’s’ anonymous fame builds, the police call in the greatest investigator in the world – an anonymous crime-solver who goes by the name of ‘L’.

The cat-and-mouse investigation that ensues is really the entire story of the two films, but the complexity of the two main protagonists’ workings and the subsequent plot-twists are enough to make these films hugely entertaining and immensely suspenseful.

The films definitely have their cheesy elements (including the computer generated Gods of Death and a couple of “plot pointers” that seem to have been included just in case there might be deaf, dumb and blind three-year-olds watching who have missed aspects of the storyline), but all up these are well made, stylish and quirky movies that have a huge following in Japan and will no doubt be remade into American popcorn sellers within the next few years.

So check them out before they’re ruined.

Rating: 4 out of 5