The first of the final piece of Naruto canon; The Last: Naruto the Movie has been released to America. Having previously seen the film, it was good to finally get my hands on the dubbed version. Unlike the follow up film Boruto: Naruto the Movie, The Last is focused heavily on plot and drama, while being a bit laxed in action.

The Last: Naruto the Movie is an 2014 Shounen film, it is produced by Studio Pierrot. It is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Naruto and Hinata as they appear in The Last.

In the first entry of the Naruto Project trilogy, The Last: Naruto the Movie takes place a few years after the events of the manga. Focusing on Naruto as he’s reaching the last legs of his journey to become Hokage, he faces an even more difficult task; realizing that he’s been in love with Hinata Hyuga for years. After she’s been taken hostage on the moon which is set to crash on to Earth, Naruto and his friends set off to rescue her, so he can finally confess his feelings for her.

Naruto using his Giant Rasengan.

THE GOOD: The Last is a nice starting point for what’s the beginning of the end for the long-running series. The major plot point here is Naruto and Hinata’s love for each other, and it’s written well enough for NaruHina fans to be satisfied. The moon plot was a nice piece of scenery to exit the usual Leaf Village setting.

Sasuke protecting the Leaf Village.

THE BAD: Compared to most Naruto films, this one lacked action, which was pretty disappointing considering it was the first canon film. The main antagonist also kind of feels like an afterthought during a certain point in the film.

Naruto and Hinata’s first kiss.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The Last: Naruto the Movie is a great entry into the finale of the Naruto franchise. Though lacking in action, the plot  and story continues the canon directly where it left off. Naruto and Hinata being the central characters was a good choice, and it was cool seeing Naruto and Sakura teaming up again, the limited use of Sasuke was kind of upsetting for long time fans, however. Otaku Dome gives The Last: Naruto the Movie an 82 out of 100.