More than 18 years later, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004) is still Naruto’s best movie. Given that only two Naruto movies are considered canon, The Last: Naruto The Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, it is better to analyze the Naruto movies as their own things rather than an extension of the main story. At a time when anime series such as My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen continue their main story through canon theatrical films, non-canon movies such as Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow can be seen as not that important. However, as a self-contained, the first Naruto movie still holds up.
There are 11 Naruto movies considering the original Naruto series, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto. Of that total, most were released straight to home video. Naruto went back to the big screen relatively recently with The Last, which made sense considering that the film was supposed to wrap up Naruto Shippuden and set up the Boruto franchise. Similarly, Boruto: Naruto the Movie was given a theatrical release that helpped promote the Boruto series. That said, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Naruto’s first movie, was released in theaters.
Perhaps the fact that it was Naruto’s first movie led Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow to have a different, more special feel to it than following Naruto movies. Naruto Part 1 was still airing when Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow was released, meaning that audiences were not used to seeing a Naruto adventure with a widescreen aspect ratio and great pacing. A theatrical two-hour movie tends to have a lot more budget compared to a full season of a weekly anime, which is why 2004’s Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow looks so much better than what viewers were used to. More than its visual qualities, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is a solid story with great moments from Naruto and Team 7.
Why No Naruto Movie Has Sured Ninja Clash In The Land of Snow
Compared to Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, a lot of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden movies feel more like OVAs than cinematic experiences. While every Naruto movie except for The Last and Boruto: Naruto the Movie is technically Naruto filler, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow takes itself seriously enough to deliver a cinematic feel that would only be matched by The Last. Unlike a lot of Naruto movies, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow does not feel like a four-episode arc edited as a film. Instead, it follows a consistent three-act journey in which Naruto’s unbreakable spirit inspires the princess to save the day.
Every Naruto or Naruto Shippuden movie takes audiences on a completely different adventure from the previous one. That said, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is still the best film the franchise has offered. A strong contender for that title was The Last: Naruto the Movie, but the film had the difficult mission of being both a new story and a Naruto Shippuden epilogue. For its effective simplicity, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow will probably always be well-ed by audiences.
