This DVD sees the release of the first of several Naruto full length motion pictures which takes place either right before episode 101 of the TV series or right after it.
Plot-wise, the Naruto movie is pretty simple. Naruto and his team are given their new mission - to guard Yukie Fujikaze; a famous big screen actress while she is filming in the land of snow. However, there is more to this mission than is expected as the hidden leaf ninja's go up against rogue ninjas who want to kidnap the actress for their own devices. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi face off with these rogue ninjas to protect Yukie and to save the land of snow.
So what we get is the fantastic ninja action that we love for the series, along with some new jutsus as well.
It is evident that the creators pulled out all the stops to make the animation superb; and it really pays off. The excellent mix of traditional anime artwork alongside some impressive CGI imagery go well together nicely and create a nice big budget Naruto experience.
As can be expected, there is very little characterisation or anything that can interrupt the continuation of the series.
The music is pretty nice and easy to listen to, and Naruto fans may even recognise most of the tunes from the series.
A nice addition to te DVD package is the bonus 10 minute 'konoha sports festival' extra. This comedic short has nothing to do with the movie itself; instead it returns our characters back to their home town and sees them competing in a sports competion, with the winning team getting a week off work. Fans of the Naruto series will be happy to see their favourite characters make an appearance here, including my personal favourite - Shikimaru.
For anyone who has never seen Naruto before, I'd recommend watching the TV series beforehand, just to get a bit of insight into the basic story and the characters. This movie can probably be enjoyed by newcomers to the Naruto franchise, but I think the main target here is the fans. This movie is neither as good or as groundbreaking as the television series but nonetheless it is still enjoyable while it lasts.