Naruto Shippuuden recently released their latest movie and it’s now available for download on various sources in the internet. If you have the cash though, I would encourage you to buy the original DVD’s since piracy is illegal but not really enforced well here in the Philippines. Anyway, let’s move on to the review. I just watched it last night and I have some things to say about the movie. Please note that there maybe some spoilers so better watch the movie first before reading on.

Naruto Shippuuden Movie Teasers - Naruto’s Death?
The movie was promoted really well since they released a trailer showing Naruto dying. This got a lot of Naruto fans talking but we all knew that this was kinda impossible since the manga isn’t even finished yet and the movie is set much earlier than the current episode in the manga. In the teaser, we see Naruto get pierced by what looks like a hentai tentacle. Afterwards we will also get to witness his burial - complete with Sakura crying her eyes out.

The Plot: Rampaging Evil Demon (Rawr!)
The plot of the movie is pretty simple - a demon is finally released from his prison and he decides to awaken his army of stone warriors and he wants to destroy the world. However, he needs to get his body back since his soul and body were sealed separately by the High Priestess of the Demon Country. The demon marches towards the burial site of his body and in the way decides to take out the High Priestess because she alone has the power to seal him again.

The nation of Konoha dispatches all of their senior Ninja to engage the stone armies while Tsunade sends Team 7 to the High Priestess to make sure she reaches the burial site of the demon’s body safely so she can seal the demon once again. Team 7 is composed of Rock Lee, Sakura, Naruto and Neji as the captain.

When they meet the priestess, they find out that she has the ability to see future instances of her death and to avoid this she sacrifices her comrades to make sure she lives. In one of her dreams, she foresees the death of Naruto. This is the central theme of the movie - how Naruto challenges destiny and makes a stand to control his own fate and to avoid death. Naruto promises to himself and to the priestess that he would protect her and keep them both alive.

Naruto’s Resolve to Change Destiny
To cut a long story short - the demon is able to reunite with his body. He looks like a gigantic gas hydra with multiple snake heads. The demon fights the Priestess and she eventually succumbs to his power and is trapped inside the demon. She’s protected from dying because of a special charm her mother passed on to her.

Here, Naruto makes his desparate move to save the Priestess. However the demon overpowers him and just before Naruto dies, we see the ultimate sacrifice of the High Priestess. She goes back into time and gives her charm to Naruto. Before Naruto gets impaled, the charm activates and protects him. However, the Princess looses that protection and slowly starts to get absorbed by the demon. It’s here that her true power manifests as she realizes that by sacrificing herself, she can seal the demon once again. She begins the ritual inside the demon’s body, fully understanding that she would die in the process.

Promise Kept
Before she completes the ritual, Naruto dives into the demon’s body and pulls her out, breaking the ritual and the trance. Here we see Naruto keep his promise and teaches the Priestess the value of life. Naruto and the Priestess then combine their powers to form an Ultra Chakra Rasengan which they use to obliterate the demon once and for all.

Over-all the movie wasn’t bad. The animation was good but the fight scenes weren’t really that exciting. However, I really loved the story and how they emphasized on Naruto’s characteristics as the Ninja that doesn’t give up and keeps his promises. This movie brought back the old Naruto that we call came to know prior to Shippuuden. It’s a good movie but I can’t say that it’s the best. At the very least, it’s worth the download time or the few hundred pesos you’ll spend for the DVD. :)