Naruto: O Filme - Guardiões do Reino da Lua Crescente

Like "Stone of Gelel," this was a film I had only seen once back in the day. I was 13 when it premiered on Toonami, and I felt rather underwhelmed with it. However, upon re-watching it, I am happy to say that, while it has its issues, it's actually much better than I remembered it being.

The story is rather basic, but it's executed quite well thanks to the characters that Naruto and friends meet. Michiru and his son Hikaru are both endearing characters who go through compelling arcs of learning to become better and more caring people. Naruto's friendship with Hikaru felt very appealing and believable, even though there were a few too many scenes of them shoving their new friendship down our throats.

We get to see Kakashi Sensei and Sakura again, and joining them on the journey is Rock Lee. While it is cool to see Rock Lee, I'm rather disappointed that he didn't have much to say or do outside of the fight scenes.

We once again get top-notch animation with really interesting and beautiful settings. Most of the action scenes were pretty good. The action scene taking place at the beach wasn't anything too exciting, but the rousing climax definitely makes up for it.

The movie's biggest downfall is the villains. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, they were pretty awful. Shabadaba (I can't believe that's actually his name) was one of the most one-dimensional bad guys I've seen in a while, and his henchmen were cardboard cut-outs with no personality. The baddies in the first two "Naruto" films weren't exactly groundbreaking, but they were still good enough to keep my interest. The ones in this film did not.

However, with great animation, an engaging character arc, and an exciting battle at the end, this is still a film that I enjoyed despite its flaws. While it's the weakest of the original "Naruto" trilogy, it's much better than I originally thought and it gets a recommendation.

RATING: B

There's nothing particularly remarkable in this context, except for a significant amount of money invested in numerous lackluster five-minute fights featuring poor choreography. Despite this, the overall standard was quite good; however, I had reservations about the art style. It appeared somewhat inconsistent when compared to the source material. The use of computer-generated imagery (CG) was appropriate and not excessive. It didn't stand out, but it also didn't give rise to any complaints.

The sound quality was mediocre. Naruto has always had excellent audio in general. I won't say that I disliked it; I just didn't hear anything. Not in the sense that it disappears completely into the surroundings, but rather in the sense that it merely exists. Like in the first season of the series, it should breathe life into the desolate wasteland of obscene writing. Though several musical scores were taken from the TV series, that's why it manages to score a 6. Characters while trying to take themselves seriously, were more of a comedic relief than anything else. What this movie needed was the growth of team Kakashi. Naruto being his usual dumb self, Sakura and Lee had as many lines as that Siberian tiger (!), which somehow managed to be incrusted into this mess of a story.

The "villains" were the laughing stock of the movie, their designs, voices, (and what's with the wannabe Jiraya wigs?) no backstory, no motives, no nothing.

To save you the brain cells (or remnants of the aforementioned if one has already managed to watch this "masterpiece") I'll spare you the details regarding the so-called "character development" Well, OK, I'm just being coy. There isn't anything to spare actually.

Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is the final film in the original Naruto trilogy before Shippuden takes over. While it improves upon some aspects of its predecessors, it still suffers from familiar issues that plague the early Naruto movies.

Strengths: 1. Improved Animation & Fight Sequences - The action scenes are visually appealing, especially the final battle where Naruto, Rock Lee, Sakura, and Kakashi each get their moment to shine. The choreography is fluid, and the setting-a luxurious island kingdom-adds vibrancy to the visuals.

2. Naruto's Emotional Growth - The film focuses on Naruto's bond with Hikaru, a spoiled prince who must learn humility. While cliché, this dynamic allows Naruto to showcase his never-give-up attitude and his ability to inspire change in others.

3. Rock Lee's Inclusion - Unlike previous films, Rock Lee plays a significant role, filling in for Sasuke and adding his own brand of humor and unique fighting style. His battle against the circus-like assassins is one of the highlights.

Weaknesses: 1. Weak Villain - Prince Michiru's scheming advisor, Shabadaba, is forgettable and lacks menace. His motivations-overthrowing the monarchy for selfish gain-are bland and uninspired. Even his hired ninjas feel like generic obstacles rather than real threats.

2. Predictable & Formulaic Plot - Like most Naruto movies, the story follows a predictable arc: Naruto bonds with a reluctant ally, learns a lesson, faces a seemingly unstoppable enemy, and wins with the power of determination. This formula makes the film feel repetitive.

3. Underuse of Sakura & Kakashi - While they participate in fights, neither Sakura nor Kakashi contribute meaningfully to the emotional or narrative stakes. They feel like side characters in their own movie.

Verdict: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is visually appealing and has some solid fight sequences, but it remains a standard, forgettable Naruto movie. It works as a fun, lighthearted adventure, but it lacks the emotional depth and high stakes that make the main series compelling.

Score: 5.5/10 - generic story.

I watched this one on Netflix after I watched the entire first part of the naruto series. So naturally, I'd have a pretty food understanding of what the characters are capable of and what they look like..

But this movie throws what you know out the window!!

Firstly it's a new artstyle. I don't like change much but it's a dumb reason to stop watching a movie so I ofc trekked on. Whiiich made me realize the other visual inconsistencies. Most glaring one to me, Lee's headband tied around his waist. Lee and Guy both have red headbands. But now Lee's is blue just like everyone else's. Also, the anime pretty much turns Naruto's clones into poofs of clouds ON IMPACT. Even a weak punch will take out his clones. Not on this movie tho... Plus Lee's pain gate face was off too. Just made him look like a Lee tomato for crying out loud. It's very small details, but those all add up to an understanding of what was going on there. The new studio did not have that familiarity so the attention to detail was just not there. It's disappointing though. Most things I noticed would have been remedied by just watching maybe 3-4 episodes but instead they just put out their base level understanding and it shows.

This bare minimum knowledge is also shown during fights. Slight spoilers though I won't reveal anything integral to the actual story. Firstly, Lee has weapons all of a sudden. Then Kakashi seemingly won't use substitution now. One of his signature moves keep in mind. Naruto's sage mode just pops off again and again theyre never allowed to actually strategize like the other movies they just use one of their flashier moves and they instantly have the upper hand.

Which of course makes for a glaringly generic movie. Like ridiculously so. I won't say naruto is the most complex anime in the world but most the stories have interesting parts whether it's from the plot twist, the fight, or the growth. This movie.. had NONE. 0. Zip. Nada. Honestly the first bout 30 minutes is such a snoozefest I was bout ready to turn it off I'm ngl. Talk about basic storytelling. The rest was carried only by the fights that at least did look did look pretty cool visually I can't lie. Though really, the budget is what carried that part. We've seen more memorable fights in the series. More flashy more enticing.... something actually compelling to watch because it will actually change and develop the characters

Tldr: studio change = inconsistency and safe to a generic level writing. Just skip this one if you haven't already seen it. It's not like it's Canon anyway. This junk was not worth the time at all.

Villains were too conventional, storyline was a bit draggy and characters like Kakashi were nerfed pretty bad. I know the movie isn't Canon but it just seemed a bit unrealistic. Also a bit cliche but I really enjoyed the fighting scenes and the animation.