| Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hayato Date |
| Written by | Yuka Miyata |
| Story by | Masashi Kishimoto |
| Produced by | Makoto Shiraishi Naoji Hōnokidani |
| Starring | Junko Takeuchi Chie Nakamura Toshiyuki Morikawa Emi Shinohara |
| Cinematography | Atsuho Matsumoto |
| Edited by | Seiji Morita Yukie Oikawa Yuichi Ono |
| Music by | Yasuharu Takanashi |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | ¥1.48 billion (US$17.9 million) |
Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie is a 2012 Japanese anime martial arts fantasy film based on Masashi Kishimoto's manga and anime series, Naruto.[1] It was released in Japan on July 28, 2012.[2][3] It is the first Naruto film to have Kishimoto directly involved with its production including its main story and new character designs. The story focuses on the ninjas from the Hidden Leaf Village Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno who are trapped into an alternate version of their home by the Akatsuki criminal organization who aim to take the mystic creature Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed inside in the former by his parents during childbirth. The alternate Hidden Leal Village has multiple changes from Naruto's world most notably the fact that Naruto's parents Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki are alive, challenging the protagonist into either giving into the world he always wanted or carry his parents' legacy to defeat Akatsuki.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 25, 2014. Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie was praised for Naruto's exposure to a more cheerful life which challenges the protagonist as that was what he always wanted but instead decides to rebel against Akatsuki. Though the action sequences were praised, some critics felt the animation was poorly made by Pierrot in scenes set at night. The film went on to become one of the most popular Naruto films, surpassing Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison but eventually being surpassed by its successors The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie; In total, the film grossed US$17.9 million in the Japanese box office.
- ^ "Naruto: Road to Ninja Film's Story, Designs Penned by Kishimoto". Anime News Network. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ Next Naruto Shippūden Film Set for Summer 2012
- ^ "Road to Ninja – Naruto the Movie". ElevenArts. Archived from the original on 2014-10-28. Retrieved September 23, 2014.