“Boruto: Naruto the Movie” Review

While the Naruto manga has come to an end (permanently?), that hasn’t stopped the creator, Masashi Kishimoto, from continuing to provide fans with canon material. Boruto: Naruto the Movie shines light on the next generation of ninjas and is highly enjoyable due to its character development and action sequences.

The post contains major spoilers so, be warned! Dattebayo!

As the name implies, the major character of the film is Boruto, Naruto and Hinata’s son. Even though he looks a lot like his father, he has a somewhat different personality. Naruto not being able to spend much time with his son was shown in the spin-off manga Naruto Gaiden and in the film that aspect of the father/son relationship is shown more.

I always thought that growing up as an orphan would have encouraged Naruto to spend more time with his kids, but being Hokage doesn’t allow him much time to spare. He does a lot of his Hokage work through his Shadow Clones, and it was clear Naruto was overworking himself.

The world of Naruto has definitely changed through the years, and we get to see a lot of technological advancements. One of the new inventions is a ninja tool that allows the wearer to release any kind of jutsu without them having to spend their own chakra. Wanting to show off his strength in front of his Dad during the Chunin exams, Boruto makes use of the ninja tool even though it is prohibited. His willingness to cheat at games showed how kids have changed over the years. Living in a comparatively peaceful world had put people at ease, even shinobi kids.

Boruto’s personality was a sharp contrast to Salad’s, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno’s daughter. Salad’s all about working hard and one day becoming Hokage. Kishimoto told us a lot about her in the spin-off manga, so I wasn’t disappointed when she didn’t have a lot to do in the film. When it came to team dynamics, she definitely acted as the leader of the group. I was surprised to realize how much of a well-developed female character Kishimoto was able to create, considering his track record.

Coming to the antagonists of the film, Momoshiki and Kinshiki, the threats that led Sasuke back to the village, the whole thing didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. Of course the fight scenes were epic, but after having Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura defeat the God-like Kaguya, any villain that shows up next just looks weak in comparison. It doesn’t matter how flashy their attacks might look on screen, they just don’t come across as major threats anymore.

Momoshiki’s power was similar to the new ninja tools. He kept eating pills that made him stronger without him having to train. His defeat was able to open Boruto’s eyes to the importance of training in order attain true power. Naruto giving his son chakra to create a giant Rasengan reminded me of how Goku came back to help his son Gohan during his fight with Cell in Dragon Ball Z.

Other thoughts after watching the film:

1. Even though Sasuke was featured a lot, he didn’t share a scene with Sakura until the final shot. Why are you doing this to me, Kishimoto? The Last: Naruto the Movie was all about Hinata and Naruto falling in love. Why can’t we have a similar story for Sakura and Sasuke? At least give us a kiss between them!
2. Mitsuki ended up being Orochimaru’s kid. I have no idea why Orochimaru would even have a kid in the first place. And why would he be allowed to join the same team Salad and Boruto are in? There are a lot of questions when it comes to the new kid and I hope Kishimoto addresses them.
3. How dare the film show Chocho being defeated during the final Chunin Exam. Chocho is the one of the best things to come out of the next generation of ninjas. She must always reign supreme!
4. I know Sakura is supposed to be the best medical ninja and was needed to treat the injured after the villains attacked, but why didn’t she accompany Sasuke, Boruto and the rest of the Kages to save Naruto? Hinata went head first to save her husband, and it would’ve been nice to at least see Sakura offer to come rescue her friend.
5. Is Tenten (who grew up into one very beautiful anime character) the mother of Lee’s son? It did seem like it when they showed an image of all the parents standing with their children.
6. I don’t know who instructed the animators, but the scene where Naruto held Sasuke in his arms after he got burned was full of queer subtext. You know those scenes in action films where the hero gets majorly powered up after watching his love interest get hurt? Imagine that but with Naruto and Sasuke. Naruske is still sailing peacefully in the fandom people!

Boruto: Naruto the Movie is the second film installment after The Last, which is canon, and I enjoyed it a lot. Boruto and Naruto finally understanding how the other felt didn’t feel rushed, and I was glad to see the children of our heroes being happy with them.

Have you watched Boruto: Naruto the Movie yet? Share your thoughts with us!

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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