Like many anime fans of my generation, I began my life as an anime fan through Cartoon Network's Toonami block, featuring shounen classics such as Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Rurouni Kenshin. However, for me personally, I was on the tail end of those shows' airtime, only catching the Majin Buu saga and reruns of the first few episodes of other shows. I didn't come in at the beginning, so it wasn't like starting a brand new adventure, and it wasn't until around 2005 that I first got to experience the start of a brand new story, and that story, of course, was
...
Naruto, an epic reinterpretation of ninjas combined with the superpower action/adventure style of DBZ and other shounen tropes, though of course I had no idea what shounen was at the time. Now, after over a decade of popularity in the US, and half a decade more in Japan, the last story in the Naruto-verse has finally been told.
Several years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto has finally become the Seventh Hokage, and a time of peace and prosperity has descended upon the Leaf Village. However, this time our focus is not on Naruto, but on his son, Boruto, a young ninja desperately seeking the attention of his father, who has become overwhelmed with his duties as Hokage and barely has time to spend with his family anymore. Through his trials in the lead-up to the Chunin Exams, as well as a mysterious new villain making an appearance, Boruto attempts to garner his father's attention and force him to recognize his exceptional talent as a shinobi and give him the attention he so desperately craves.
Much like Naruto: The Last, we've moved past simply adding a new villain for our favorite characters to fight against, and instead the main focus of this movie is on the emotional turmoil that Boruto and Naruto have to work through in their strained father-son relationship. This part of the story is pretty straightforward and basic, though that's really all that it needs to be. Naruto doesn't have time to spend with his son, so Boruto gets angry and hates his dad's guts, yet still tries his best to get his dad to notice him. In terms of the franchise's history, Boruto is actually a fairly weak-willed main character at times and gives up a lot more easily than his father ever did, though this still seems to work because, rather than not having anyone in the first place like Naruto, or having his family taken from him like Sasuke, he instead feels abandoned by a father who is still technically there but doesn't pay enough attention, causing him to essentially lose hope that his situation will ever get better, and when he does finally start seeing reassurance from his father after Boruto starts making more headway in the ninja world, he subconsciously rebounds and does everything he can to keep his dad's attention, even if his methods start to deviate from the shinobi way. In a way, this sort of echoes Sasuke's history, which kind of makes sense since Sasuke is Boruto's mentor for a good portion of the film, and at times it almost feels like Boruto sees Sasuke as someone to fill the void left by his barely-there father, though this idea isn't explored too much in the film. The overall arc of Boruto's character is probably the best part of this film, as it reaches a satisfying conclusion in the final act.
As for Naruto, this is probably the most difficult part of the story to convey to the audience, since they have to make Naruto look extremely busy without making him act like a douche to his family, and with the exception of a few lines, they manage to do that fairly well. You can definitely see that he's become overloaded and exhausted from his work as Hokage, and also that he's still trying to find time to spend with his family, although failing miserably. There are a few moments in the beginning though where the strictness he's adopted as the Hokage seems to be a bit too forced for his character and ends up making him look a bit uncaring, which is hardly the kind of trait you would expect from Naruto.
As for the rest of the cast, most of them are fairly solid. I ended up liking Sarada a lot more than I thought I would since she ends up being an interesting support character for Boruto in sharing similar elements of their parental situations. I do wish they had explored her more in this movie, but I suppose that's what Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring is for. The rest of the characters fill out their own fan service and nostalgia roles pretty nicely, and I didn't really expect any more than that since it would end up clogging up the main story line. The main villain, unfortunately, is pretty much as generic as they come. Again, anything super-complex would have bogged down the character drama between Boruto and Naruto, but this guy's about as plain and standard as they come. They try to work him into the already existing shinobi history, which worked out fine in Naruto: The Last, but it feels like too much of a stretch in this case and a lot of the details feel a bit jumbled and rushed.
The new technology they introduce in this film was also a bit odd at times. I've always felt that Kishimoto has struggled with balancing how much advanced technology is used in the Naruto universe, and this movie almost fixes that problem by basically showing this giant leap forward in technology, and it even seems to address the debate of whether hard work and willpower or technology and cutting edge tools with spearhead the future of the shinobi world, but it's still just a tad too jagged and uneven at times.
As for animation, this is definitely one of the best-looking Naruto films thus far, though I'm not quite sure I would call it the best. The character designs are about as refined and polished as they've ever been, though I did notice quite a few draw distance issues. Perhaps this was more a problem with the theater I saw it in...amongst many other problems I had with my particular theater viewing, that will eventually be fixed by the time the Blu-rays come out, but it's still something worth noting. To my delight, this film does not rely nearly as much on CG environments as previous movies have done, though there are still a few whiffs of that pungent CG stench hanging around. As for the action scenes, once again, it does a lot of things right, and a lot of things not so right. When it gets into the huger scale of things, the choreography and particle physics are outstanding, with tons of vivid colors and unique attack designs, and watching these massive explosions and earth-shattering jutsu go off in everyone's faces is spectacular to watch. On the other end though, a lot of the smaller, hand-to-hand choreography is a bit disappointing, especially compared to the previous film. There are a few moments where the hand-to-hand gets pretty awesome and some of the more complex strategies and jutsu are fun to watch, but these moments largely fall by the wayside in exchange for a “whoever has the biggest jutsu wins” competition like the latter half of the main Naruto storyline fell into. The very end of the battle did have at least some smartness to it though, so I wasn't dissatisfied by the ending to a significant degree. Despite its flaws though, this is some of the better work that Studio Pierrot has put out so far, and it's a great way to view the shinobi world for one last time.
On the soundtrack end of things, it's pretty much the same as it's always been: an epic combination of orchestral and rock compositions with that extra Eastern flavor of shamisen, taiko drums, and bamboo flute that has shaped the Naruto soundtrack's identity for the past thirteen years. The ending song played during the credits was provided by Kana-Boon and gives us that last burst of excitement as what is most likely the final chapter in the Naruto world comes to a close. Oh by the way, make sure you watch the after-credits scene because it is absolutely something that you do not want to miss.
Overall, if you go into this movie thinking it'll be the big final hoorah of the Naruto franchise and that it's the best story yet, you'll probably be disappointed. To me, the final climax of Naruto was in Naruto: The Last, if you couldn't tell from how often I brought it up during this review, and Boruto is more of a fan service/second generation side story that serves as more of a dessert dish rather than the last bite of a spectacular main course. Despite that, though, I still highly recommend that you see this movie if you are a Naruto fan because, despite all its flaws, it's still probably the last major project that Kishimoto will make for the Naruto franchise, and that's...kinda sad for me. Even though there are so many other, much better anime out there, Naruto is the one that, for me and thousands, possibly millions of other anime fans, shaped how we viewed anime as we were growing up, and to know that the story is now completely finished is kind of depressing. Sure the TV anime is still going...for some reason, but the manga's story is completely finished and now there's this void left behind from a series that's been a massive part of my life for so long that I can't even remember what life was like without Naruto. From the first volume to the last, from Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow to Boruto, and the dozens of side stories in-between, this has been one hell of a ride. Knowing that there's a future without more Naruto is really weird for me, and, in time, perhaps a new franchise will take its place...but, that's a story for another day.
For now, I say "Sayonara" to a franchise that, despite its flaws, means more to me than others can possibly imagine.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Gekijouban Naruto (2015)
Japanese: BORUTO -NARUTO THE MOVIE-
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
1
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Aug 7, 2015
Licensors:
VIZ Media
Studios:
Pierrot
Source:
Manga
Theme:
Martial Arts
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
1 hr. 35 min.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#24242
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Popularity:
#482
Members:
466,170
Favorites:
966
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 43 / 44
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Your Feelings Categories Oct 10, 2015
Like many anime fans of my generation, I began my life as an anime fan through Cartoon Network's Toonami block, featuring shounen classics such as Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Rurouni Kenshin. However, for me personally, I was on the tail end of those shows' airtime, only catching the Majin Buu saga and reruns of the first few episodes of other shows. I didn't come in at the beginning, so it wasn't like starting a brand new adventure, and it wasn't until around 2005 that I first got to experience the start of a brand new story, and that story, of course, was
...
Nov 1, 2015
I really wanted to review this movie, because it's officially Kishimoto's final involvement with the Naruto franchise (if nothing changes, that is) and I wanted to make somewhat of a tribute to this series, that has been part of my life for quite some time.
Story: 50% Characters: 30% Art: 10% Soundtrack: 10% Story (3/5): The story is nothing special. It's basically an encore to the series' epilogue and centers around the new generation, that got introduced in the final chapter of the main series. The focus is Naruto's son Boruto, who is torn between admiring his father as the hokage and rebelling against him for not having any time for ... Oct 10, 2015
This is my review on the recent Naruto movie. This movie is by far my favorite. It did have it's ups and downs, which I will eventually deal with. By the way, expect to be spoiled.
So this is literally what the Naruto Gaiden manga as led to. We finally get to see the new generation in all it's glory. We see Naruto fulfilling his dreams, as well as juggling his children, we see the Chunin Exams, as well as Sasuke going in. To be honest everyone gets to shine to an extent....Except TenTen. What I found odd about this story was the villains(Momoshiki and ... Oct 12, 2015
Starting with a clever dialogue and moving into an emotional and tension filled story, Boruto delivers some of the best that Naruto has had to offer throughout its original run.
Boruto picks up marginally after the time skip between the end of the manga and the Naruto movie "The Last." If you have not seen those two yet, I recommend watching them before Boruto as many references and assumptions are taken from knowing those stories. In terms of art and music, Boruto delivered high quality work. The entire film was enjoyable as known melodies from Naruto intertwined with original soundtracks to give the viewer just enough ... Nov 16, 2015
So if your here already you should already know who Boruto is, any spoilers i say. Everything mentioned happens in the first 5 minutes anyways.
So Boruto has to be the biggest disappointment ive ever come across. And im a huge psycho-pass fan. So let me get this straight. So for over a decade, 600 episodes with god knows how many flashbacks, of Naruto having this childhood of loneliness and no one paying attention to him and not having parents or friends, acting out to get attention. This TORTURED childhood of PAIN which allows him to reach anyones heart, and hes a shit ... Sep 23, 2016
The best word to descirbe Boruto is only; disappointing.
The story cut short and its nothing different than the original old Naruto anime but there is one thing that really, really makes me mad. Boruto call Naruto 'dad' but suddenly Naruto got mad, and want Boruto to call him Seventh in the Hokage office like what the f*ck! that just really cruel. Where's Naruto that we know and love, is he change to be an asshole to his OWN family after become a Hokage? The story only base on a 'daddy issues' that Boruto had with his so called father. But thank god Sasuke took a part ... Sep 14, 2016
I have watched this movie already 4 TIMES and just recently got around to reading the novelization. To me, this movie is perfect. A MASTERPIECE. 11/10.
Story 10/10 Art 10/10 Sound 10/10 Character 10/10 Enjoyment 10/10 Overall 10/10 Naruto came into my life when I was around 9 or 10 years old. I'm 20 now. So it goes without saying that I have a huge emotional connection to this series and everything that relates to it. ... Sep 13, 2023
Boruto the first movie, is a sequel to Naruto the Last movie, where the milking of the franchise keeps going by simply repeating the same crap all over again. Although Kishimoto was given the chance to start fresh with new characters and new storylines, all he did was making the children have the exact same personalities as their parents, and the plot being a repeat of everything that happened thus far. Despite trying to make it seem things are different, Boruto is still going through the exact same events Naruto did.
The saddest part is that despite the rehash, the movie still has a much more ... Oct 12, 2015
I just got home from watching boruto the movie. Let me start off saying that this review will have spoilers! If you haven't read the manga nor naruto gaiden then I suggest to skip this review, therefore, you shall not pass from here.
Story: 7/10 The story of this movie was very straightforward. Boruto doesn't like naruto and he became sasuke's apprentice to he can defeat his father. Kinshiki and Momoshiki are introduced as descendants of the Otsutsuki clan. Their objective is to reproduce what madara and kaguya did aka the big tree which contains all the chakra. They want that so they can gain immortality and ... Dec 27, 2015
After my blistering critique of the "Last" movie (in which I gave it a 1/10), people have asked me to review Boruto: Naruto the Movie. Here's all you need to know.
The Good: - Definitely better than the "Last" movie. - The plot actually advances. Several characters undergo plot-altering changes, including the death of an important character in one of the opening scenes (that no one seems to care about). The point is, this is not like in Last where everything just returns to normal and nothing new is revealed. The writers were given the power to forever alter the lives of the characters in a ... Jan 2, 2016
Well, the art is really good, especially fighting scenes. The music is catchy too. However these things do not save the whole movie.
To tell the truth, by the time I finished Naruto, I have been totally fed up with Kishimoto characters' design, and plot and other stuffs. He keeps making the same mistakes. As a female, I'm really disappointed to see Sarada - such a potential character, being pushed to the background by a lame "father issue" character. Naruto and Sasuke play major roles while their wives are still useless as usual. DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BADASS FEMALE CHARACTER HERE?! Then again, the ... Dec 28, 2015
For something that can use the Naruto name to basically make people watch anything, The Boruto Movie wasn't all that bad. Though that being said, this movie did everything you would expect to see in a Naruto movie, or rather have already seen in Naruto.... seen far too many times. To put it simply it was unbearably cliche.
Before I continue, let's talk about target audience. I hardly doubt that anyone who hasn't read the Naruto manga to it's fullest will be going out of their way to watch this movie that is indeed set after the events that occur in Chapter 700 and even ... May 14, 2017
The movie is so awful, I literally wish I could forget I ever saw it. I really loved Naruto and I was extremely sad it ended but there's no reason to drag the series any longer. If you love Naruto as a character, I suggest you to forget all about Boruto . The story is stupid and the newly introduced characters are badly drawn, uninspired, with no interesting character traits. I found the kids annoying and superficial considering they are training to be future warriors. Αnd all this hype around Boruto, regarding the alleged Naruto's death, is a cheap commercial trick.
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS Well, Naruto ... Mar 10, 2016
This movie sums up the legacy of Naruto very well! I enjoy watching it from the first till the very last minute plus credits and the cliffhanger of Mitsuki's parent after that. Everyone was laughing on that!
The plot and scenes are arranged beautifully that I feel no time is wasted. Graphics animations and music soundtrack also have amazing effects! Even if you don't read the Japanese manga or previous movie, you can tell that the essence of story about a boy who's longing for a father's acceptance but ended up overwhelmed by the fact that Boruto's father (Naruto) has overcame so much weaknesses that viewers should ... Sep 9, 2018
I already wasted like 2 hours of my life on this shit movie so why not spend another 10 minutes berating it.
I'll start off by saying I've loved Naruto since I was a kid, and I've always been more partial to it over other shounen that I've watched as a kid because of that nostalgia. I love the original and even Shippuden with all it's flaws could still keep my interest to the end. That's the keyword, "end." Sadly, Boruto manages to rear his ugly head in like an outro at the end of movie credits that makes you say, "wait there's more?" This ... Nov 5, 2015
I grew up watching Naruto as a child and those moments were filled with admiration towards Naruto.In my eyes, he is one of the best hero.
Naruto grew up facing hardships along the way but he never gives in and had become an Hokage he dreamed to be. Watching Naruto has always motivate me in my life.Though i have grown up and realised this story is not as good as i thought of.Regardless of that, i watched it till the end to properly end this childhood story of mine. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER: Story:5 Re-using the same plot since Akatsuki,targeting the Bijuu. The antagonist of this movie,(did not ... Jun 20, 2022
So Boruto itself as a whole catches a lot of flack from original series fans. I find this film to be my favorite Naruto franchise film. It is a great introduction to the new generation of ninja and also is a nice revisit to past characters. You have to go into Boruto itself knowing that it is not Naruto or Naruto Shippuden, it is its own entity, and it is best to be open minded. The movie takes place around the new generation of ninjas' chunin exams. I will not spoil any plot, but the film features both these new children but also the adults
...
Apr 10, 2016
My Review from Japanator
Boruto: Naruto the Movie takes place several years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, in which Naruto has become the Seventh Hokage of Konoha and formed a family of his own. However, even though Naruto has already reached his goal, he still has his own struggles as Hokage and as a parent of two children. As shown in the manga’s epilogue, the Naruto Gaiden chapters, as well as the previous movie The Last: Naruto the Movie, we know that Naruto is now married to Hinata and had two children named Boruto and Himawari. Given the name of the movie, naturally, the story revolves around ... Jan 13, 2016
After Naruto the Last and Naruto Gaiden I had very low expectations for the movie but I was pleasantly surpised.
The plot is nothing special, it's centers on father-son relationship. but it was well done, it had emotion but it wasn't cheesy like in the last movie. Bonus point for ninja tool device. The best part was the characters. I thought Boruto was a mini Naruto clone but I was wrong. He is insolent just like Naruto was, but he is also his own persona. He doesn't want to be Hokage, he is talented but he isn't a super hardworking guy. He is a priviledged kid but ... Dec 30, 2015
Complete evolution?
I believe the big challenge for anime writers after a successful run of their work is when to stop. Questions like what are their target group, and when would these fans stop believing in their ideas should dominate their thoughts. And for the kingpins of anime series such as onepiece, Detective Conan, Pokemon, Gintama etc, due to their loyal fan base, plot nature or no-plot nature they don't even consider it. Well Pokemon simply targets a younger age group and do not mature their theme as this group grows. Onepiece tries to mature its theme (time skip) but Luffy and the gang ... |