Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie Review

The thrilling feature-film debut of Naruto

Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is an action-packed adventure that brings the beloved anime character to the silver screen. Based on the manga series by Masashi Kishimoto, the feature-film is a perfect continuation of the saga (or a fun introduction for new fans). Produced by Atsuhiro Iwakami (Sword Art Online, Erased), Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow has plenty of excitement and breathtaking animation.

Naruto (Junko Takeuchi), Sakura (Chie Nakamura), and Sasuke (Noriaki Sugiyama) are enjoying a motion-picture on the big-screen. Asked to go watch the movie by their beloved mentor Kakashi Hatake (Kazuhiko Inoue), the trio are not just enjoying a new blockbuster epic for sheer fun: Kakashi wants to prepare the trio for their next mission: protecting the lead actress Yukie Fujikaze (Yûko Kaida) from a group of villains looking to kidnap the star during production on her new film! Tossed into new adventure, Naruto and the rest are put to the test as the actress must be protected at all costs (as she is in fact a princess from the Land of Snow). Can Naruto defeat the villains while protecting Yukie Fujikaze in the process?

Time for some action!

The animation is one of the finest qualities of Naruto. The background art is exquisitely detailed. From the outdoor scenery to the character designs, the animators produced an exceptional feature-film with this first Naruto feature story. Featuring art direction by Shigenori Takada (Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho), audiences are in for a real visual treat that has more splendor than expected. The original music score composed by Toshio Masuda (Excel Saga, Ai yori aoshi) is a compelling component of the production as well. The score brings some real dramatic weight to the experience.

Directed by Tensai Okamura (Wolf's Rain, Darker Than Black), the filmmaker uses the strong script by screenwriter Katsuyuki Sumizawa (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Dragon Ball Z) to create a compelling action-packed experience. The filmmaking is top-notch and the script gives good moments to each character. The end result is a fantastic first entry in the Naruto film series: one that fans won't want to miss.

Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ, Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Fans will certainly be pleased to be able to revisit Naruto in high-definition. The Blu-ray release gives fans a chance to experience the feature-film debut in the best North American edition (to date). The great animation appears even more fluid and organic in high-definition. The visuals are given a chance to shine. On the downside, VIZ made a mistake in including all three feature-films on one-disc. There sometimes appears to be minor compression artifacts that are a slight irritant (the kind of artifacts one expects to find from streaming high- definition video). While not a perfect presentation, Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow looks good for the most part.

Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release of Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow features a somewhat problematic audio presentation (depending on preference). The edition features an immersive English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound presentation that fits the bill (bringing great energy and life to the action-packed adventure). However, VIZ has only provided the original Japanese audio with a lossy DVD quality Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track (with English subtitles). As a result, the original audio is no better sounding than a DVD sound mix.

Might the Japanese audio be lossless had the studio decided to devote two (or three) discs to the feature-film presentations instead of one disc for all three? The cost-cutting measure has its pitfalls. The end result is that dub fans will be enormously pleased while those who prefer the original Japanese language audio presentation might walk away a little disappointed.

Please Note: An optional English 2.0 stereo track is also provided.

Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no specific extras for Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow. For more information on other extras included in the Naruto: Triple Feature collection, please refer to the overview page.

Naruto: The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is entertaining, action-packed, and full of adventure. The animation is stellar. The direction is top-notch. Fans of the Naruto franchise will be thrilled. The Blu-ray release from VIZ offers a decent presentation (though it has some quirks) and comes recommended for fans.