A Return to Form for the Franchise
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this movie. It should go without saying that it's a gigantic improvement over the lackluster "The Lost Tower". One thing that certainly helped this one is that it brought some new stuff to the table.This is a very well-written film and it feels fresh because it puts Naruto in a new environment and in a vulnerable state. He is sent to a prison with air-tight security and his chakra has been blocked. The story may be rather slow-paced, but it manages to keep you engaged as Naruto is forced to use his smarts and team up with Ryuzetsu to be able to escape imprisonment and stop Mui's plans.
Mui is quite possibly the best villain we've ever seen in a "Naruto" film. He stands out because he is the first "Naruto" movie villain who isn't truly evil and is really more of an antagonist than a villain. He is a character you really feel for, because he truly regrets what he has done and wants nothing more than to bring his son Muku back.
Ryuzetsu is an interesting character, and her backstory with Muku is actually pretty touching. The animation was top notch as usual, and the final battle at the end was quite exciting for the most part.
The film isn't without it's flaws, however. There are some plot holes here and there, such as Naruto somehow being able to sneak some shuriken into the prison despite being thoroughly strip-searched. I also thought that the healing jutsu at the end that saved Naruto was a bit of an ex-machina.
Another thing, Muku severely impaled Naruto and Ryuzetsu and put giant holes in both of them that SHOULD HAVE killed them almost instantly due to the extreme blood loss, many punctured organs, and their spines being destroyed. However, they not only survive, but are able to keep fighting? Are you kidding me?
Despite this, I still really enjoyed this one and it is more than good enough to wash the taste of "The Lost Tower" out of my mouth. It's certainly one of the better "Naruto" movies so far, and it's well worth checking out.
RATING: B
score 8/10
carologletree 27 October 2018
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4421558/35074
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