My first impression: WOW! What an amazing movie! I've been postponing watching this series for quite a while (both the anime and the movie) since I'm not really a fan of most "serious" movies(comic relief in this movie is as good as non-existent), but I finally left my prejudice aside and saw it. This movie in a single word; "Brilliant". Actually speaking, its the plot that's brilliant, so full credit to the mangaka who wrote this amazing story(Death note was originally published as a manga and later made into an anime series as well).

The plot is gripping, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. The movie raises the important question, is killing justified if the people killed are criminals? The lead character(Light Yagami) is a superb protagonist( I love 'em smart dudes :D ), and "L" is the perfect antagonist to counter Light's intelligence. "Light" who sees himself as a new age God, striving to rid the world of evil, and "L", the sharp detective who sees such killings in the name of righteousness as murder, both provide interesting and contrasting views on "justice". This was one of the few movies that had me rooting for both; the protagonist as well as the antagonist. "L" was a refreshingly new character for me; I fell in love with his eccentric personality and investigative skills and "Light" aka "Kira" gives a whole new definition to the word "genius".

Its glorious to watch these two masterminds battle each other, in a war of wills and belief; in addition to the mysterious and thrilling "death note" and "shinigami" ( Ryuk in this movie, a wonderful CG character whom I love :)).

Acting: I think both the leads did an amazing job and made the story believable.
Rewatch: I don't think watching this movie again will be as much fun as the first time since the most amazing thing about this movie is its unpredictability, and that will be lost while rewatching.

I recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys a brilliantly written plot. Watch to find out who triumphs in this epic battle.