Naruto as a whole has a very special place in my heart. Having followed it and the incredible journey that both Naruto and the rest of the cast has made during the last 15 years has for the most part one filled to the brim with joy, anger and tears. Sure, the quite large amount of fillers that has plagued the series has quenched my thirst for more Naruto from time to time, but when the filler arcs reached their end and the canon episodes began once again, never did I not feel the urge rush right back. I have watched him and the rest of the ensemble grow up right along myself and my non-anime, actual real friends. That sort of commitment will undoubtedly create some sort of bond. Conflicts has sprung to life and ended, sometimes they ended up happily and sometimes the didn't. At the center of all conflicts, the main event, the main plot has although pretty much remained the same for the duration of the series, I am of course referring to the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke. When Shippuden reached its end, that feud finally came to a close and in a quite beautifully way if you ask me. And although most other plots was resolved by that time, one still remained. The unspoken love that Hinata felt for Naruto. That is was this movie is about, to at last see this subject come to fruising. As the Title suggests, this movie marks the last chapter of Naruto's journey as the main character, it is also the first of the Naruto movies considered to be Canon which is about time if you ask me. Come to think of it, The title is in my mind a pretty stupid title. I would much more prefer it if the changed it to "At last" instead, since it carries a lot of "at last" moments.
In many ways, this is more of a romantic movie than a action oriented one. Sure there are fighting sequences spread out across the two hour duration, there is a villain, but sadly he was profoundly underdeveloped and his motivations were nearly as bad The Thousand Years of pain technique is strangely effective. But all that stuff is just a backdrop for the main focus, which is without a doubt the love between Naruto and Hinata. However, the way it plays out differs for the two characters. For Hinata, it's all about finally mustering the courage to tell Naruto how she truly feels while Naruto comes to the realization about Hinata's feelings and therefore needs to evaluate how he in turn feels towards her. These sections of the movie is when it shines the brightest while the actual conflict remains quite generic, stuffed with anime tropes.
Since it shifts focus in regards to the other movies, At Last has a different tone. It has a more dream-like feel to it, almost surrealistic, striving more to visualize how Naruto and Hinata perceive the world as they contemplate their emotions towards one another. As you might imagine, this gives the movie a slower and gentler pace compared to both most of the series and the rest of the movies. It is for the most part refreshing to behold, but sometimes these moments outstay their welcome and as such, invite restlessness and boredom.
It would have been easy to make Naruto react in his often childish ways, but I am glad to say that they have allowed him to process these emotions and revelations in a mature way while still retaining what makes Naruto Naruto. The growth that he goes through is done in a very convincing and satisfying way and is definitely the highlight of the film.
Another aspect that I liked but that also exposed one of the movie's biggest faults was the fact that the movie almost gives Hinata as much screen time as Naruto. I would like to change the title a tad more and instead call it Naruto and Hinata: At last, which is good as a romance is very seldom a one way street. This does however lead me to my biggest BUT. Giving Hinata more screen time is a great move, but it is not utilized in a good way. Hinata's greatest moment in the series is easily when she leaps to Naruto's rescue mere seconds before he would meet his demise at the hands of one of Naruto's greatest villains, Pain. At that moment she stops being her usual scared self. She stands proud and is certain of what she must do. Her words and actions does not carry even an ounce of insecurity. In short, she's badass. This movie presents a great opportunity to show of more of that badassness. To show us how Naruto comes to see her, as this incredibly strong and selfless person who is willing to sacrifice all for the one's she cares about. regrettably, none of that comes to pass. She remains a damsel in distress from beginning to end, incapable to do anything but wait for Naruto to come to her rescue. If not for this rather important factor, this movie could have been so much more. If Hinata instead got to show her true strength, if it let her save Naruto instead, Naruto and Hinata: At last would have been great instead of just good.
I watched both this and Boruto: The Naruto Movie last night, beginning with this one, and as the credits rolled began to roll I came to the conclusion that this was the best Naruto movie I had seen thus far. The Animations were top-notch, the music both grand and befitting. This movie marks the end of and era and the birth of a new, hopefully the next generation of stories that unfold in the Hidden Leaf village understand that Damsel in distress is a thing of the past.
