It's been two years since the Great Ninja War ended with Naruto and Sasuke's final fight. With peace has come healing, and with healing comes normalcy. Many of the ninja we've watched grow up over the years are now getting ready to have their own families. And since nothing nets you babes like saving mankind, Naruto's gone from outcast to the Most Eligible Bachelor in the known world. No one would agree more than Hinata, who has carried a torch for Naruto with the same attachment that most people have with their spinal columns. Yet Hinata's about to discover that someone's been watching her from the shadows with an even bigger obsession... Oh, and the moon is falling.

The movie opens with a wordless summary of all the important battles across both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, animated in black-and-white ink-brush style. It's a great refresher, looks amazing and really helps set off The Last's tone as a series culmination. And while the movie does then slow down to examine Hinata's shyness around Naruto after that, it takes off fast and strong once the main villain Toneri enters the scene, leaving Hinata a threatening message and kidnapping her little sister Hanabi! The chase is on, with Naruto, Hinata and the others trying to thwart Toneri, save Hanabi and somehow stop the doom that threatens them all. (Seriously, it's the freaking moon threatening to fall on top of them. Hard to get higher stakes than that.)

And the world's not the only thing that needs saving. The Last also finds the time to develop Naruto and Hinata's romance, seamlessly integrating it into the plot. And...okay, I confess that I've been rooting for Hinata to get with Naruto right from her first appearance, but there's also no denying they have their work cut out for them. On the one hand, we have Naruto: he's not exactly the sensitive type, and even without considering his massive childhood crush on Sakura, his obliviousness towards Hinata's feeling is legendary. Case-in-point: despite the fact that the poor girl confessed her love right before she died for him (temporarily), Naruto's still somehow blindsided by her romantic interest. Yet Hinata's got her own baggage too, being so shy it's a wonder she even leaves her house to buy groceries, much less even considers wooing the now babe-ridden savior of the ninja world.

Yet not only does The Last make Naruto and Hinata work, there's a rare grace and dignity to the whole thing that caught me completely by surprise. There's one particular scene near the middle that brilliantly encapsulates the whole dynamic: Naruto realizes there are different ways of liking things and people, and is actually shocked when he realizes liking a certain food is different from liking a certain girl... As such, unlike his childish crush on Sakura, the accidental way that Naruto and Hinata developed their relationship only worked to make it stronger.

But enough with the mushy stuff. Toneri is a pretty memorable villain. In many ways, he is to Hinata what Tobi was to Naruto. For all his creepy behavior and indifference to human life, he isn't just motivated by a desire for power. In fact, the dude's got a fairly complex backstory that ties neatly within the overall Naruto mythology, and comes off as more tragic than monstrous by the end. All of the fights are extremely well choreographed, and a lot of the cast gets at least a few shots in before the end. All said, The Last is a tidy epilogue for the series proper, capping Naruto and Hinata's stories in an appropriately awesome way.

Just gonna say that this is my favorite Naruto movie. Really, there's no contest. The story flows amazingly, the villain is complex and interesting, and the visuals are awe-inspiring. It resolves a central issue to the overall plot and closes several lingering threads. Even the setting is both beautiful and distinct, with the action taking place across several eerie and surreal locations. Add in some brilliant animation and...seriously, anyone who's finished Naruto and liked it should see this movie. Now get to it!

English & Japanese 2.0 Audio/English Subtitles
Blu-ray/DVD Combo 
Special Features: Japanese Commercial Videos, Japanese Promotional Videos, Japanese Trailers BD Exclusive: Art Gallery

The Last: Naruto the Movie is the perfect gift for any Naruto fan! It's available now, right here! 

© 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO/2007 SHIPPUDEN © NMP 2014

by Chris Turner