Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie Review

The third film in the action-packed Naruto anime franchise.

Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is the third feature-film in the beloved anime series. Based on the original manga by Masashi Kishimoto, the third feature-film outing is another exceptional love-letter to fans of the beloved series. Naruto and company are back for more exciting fun and the action is bigger and better than ever before! This is one action-packed gem fans won't want to miss out on.

Naruto (Junko Takeuchi), Sakura (Chie Nakamura), Kakashi (Kazuhiko Inoue), and Rock Lee (Yôichi Masukawa) join forces as the team embarks on a brand new action-packed mission: a quest to protect the endangered Prince Hikaru (Kyosuke Ikeda) and his aloof father, Michiru (Akio Ôtsuka). Embarking on a mission filled with surprises, the team encounters the evil King Shabadaba (Umeji Sasaki) and his vile minions as the lives of Prince Hikaru and Michiru are at stake in an epic and unforgettable encounter. Can Naruto ultimately defeat Shabadaba? A heroes work is never done.

Third time's the charm?

The animation remains one of the best elements of Naruto. The third feature-film manages to be creative with the world-building and the animators bring the characters to new territories: the landscapes and environments showcase a kingdom and land that seems unfamiliar. This is an exceptional effort by the animation team and fans of the series will be pleased with the end results. The visuals are accompanied by a score by Toshio Masuda (Naruto, Excel Saga), who continues to prove why they are the right fit for the Naruto franchise.

Written and directed by Toshiyuki Tsuru (Naruto, Gungrave), Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is another entertaining entry in the film series. The storyline might not be as strong as in the previous two entries, but the direction is action- packed and the visuals are terrific. Tsuru has fun with the characters and the world they inhibit. Fans of the series will certainly want to check out this fun episode in the franchise. Don't miss it.

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray in North America from VIZ, Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is the third (and last) presentation included in the Naruto: Triple Feature collection. The action-packed film is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The animation has some impressive moments in high-definition: colors are more robust and the line art is more detailed than before. There is certainly an improvement over previously available DVD releases.

On the downside, the unwise choice VIZ made to compress all three of these Naruto films on one Blu-ray disc does have some drawbacks: compression artifacts. Of the three films included in the triple-feature collection, Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom looks the worst of the three. While day-time scenes appear largely artifact free, night-time scenes show massive compression issues (especially around facial details). These moments are a bit distracting and it takes one out of the experience. While I found the presentation watchable, Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom could have looked better.

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release includes two audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Both of the lossless audio options should provide fans with a enjoyable experience. The English dub track has plenty of energy and the surround sound usage is impressive too. The action scenes are intense and engaging. The music score is also integrated in to the surround mix quite well. The experience becomes all the more heightened as a result. Fans of the original language dub will be pleased with the inclusion of a 5.1 mix on that presentation as well. A commendable effort by VIZ.

Please Note: Optional 2.0 stereo tracks are also provided.

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary on Naruto: The Movie – Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is an entertaining spectacle: the animation is top notch and the music score is downright exhilarating. Fans of the beloved anime franchise will enjoy watching another worthwhile entry in the series. The Blu-ray release is problematic, though: the presentation has some encoding artifacts. Nonetheless, the film is worthwhile, and as one of the features in the Naruto: Triple Feature collection it is worth watching. Recommended.