Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

is a 2004 film directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa based on the popular anime and manga series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. It was released in Japan on August 21, 2004. The popularity of the series has spawned several sequels, beginning with Naruto the Movie 2. The movie was released on DVD on April 28, 2005. The film chronologically takes place either right before episode 101, or right after it, though events in the film leave its exact place in the series continuity questionable. The ending song is called Home Sweet Home and is sung by Yuki. The English version replaced this song with "Never Give Up" by Jeremy Sweet due to licensing restrictions.

As a bonus, the short and non-canonical OVA was included with the Japanese release of the film. The ten minute opening short revolves around Naruto's inability to use the bathroom while participating in the tournament. It is notable because virtually every character, living or dead, in the Naruto universe makes an appearance in it (most of them standing in a restroom-queue). The dead 4th Hokage also makes an appearance in the shot.

In America, the film was released as a one-day showing on June 6, 2007. Instead of the OVA included with the Japanese release, the American release included a short featurette entitled "World of Naruto", as well as a behind the scenes featurette afterwards with interviews with the main English cast and select members of the main Japanese cast. The OVA will, however, appear in the U.S. DVD release. The DVD release is set for September 4, 2007. The movie premiered on Cartoon Network on September 8, 2007. The film also played at Cineplex Odeon and Empire Theatres cinemas in Canada, distributed via Bell ExpressVu to play the film at all cinemas at the same time. The film aired at the Great British Museum in London, U.K. on July 28, 2007 for a single showing. The film was also slated for one-day showings in Australia on October 14.

On November 13, 2007, a 3-Disc Deluxe Edition of Naruto the Movie was released in the United States. It has many extras and features that the standard U.S. DVD, released a few months earlier, did not include. It includes the ten-minute short "Konoha Annual Sports Festival" that was originally shown with the Japanese release of the film, the complete soundtrack to the movie, documentaries of the American voice recording of the movie, movie art postcards, and more.

Plot
The movie begins with a heroine previously unknown in the Naruto continuity: Princess Fuun (Princess Gale in the US version). Fuun's nemesis, Mao, challenges her group with an army of undead soldiers. His dark intentions seem to prevail, that is, until Princess Gale and her cohorts, Shishimaru, Brit, and Tsukuyaku, unleash the power of the Seven-Color-Chakra upon him. They save the day, and Naruto, watching from afar, couldn't be more elated.

As it turns out, Naruto is actually watching the scene in a movie, as is the rest of Team 7. But then, the audience of the movie starts to throw objects at the team for making so much noise while arguing with the cinema manager. Kakashi had sent them to watch it as preparation for their next mission: guarding Yukie Fujikaze, the actress who plays Princess Fuun, while she makes the next movie in the Land of Snow. As it turns out, Yukie is actually the princess of the Land of Snow, which was taken over by rogue ninja when she was a child. The leader of the rogue ninja, Doto Kazahana, wants Yukie's crystal necklace to unlock the Land of Snow's treasure, which Yukie's father had hidden before being assassinated. After various battles between Team 7 and the rogue ninja, resulting in the defeat of all and the death of Nadare their leader, Doto succeeds in obtaining Yukie's necklace, only to discover that the "treasure" of the Land of Snow is a generator designed to melt the snow and bring Spring to the country. Doto is then defeated by Naruto in a manner reminicient of Princess Fuun's defeat of Mao, involving "rainbow chakra".

With the rogue ninja all gone, Yukie has decided to resume her position as the princess of the Land of Snow, which will eventually become the Land of Spring after the technology behind the generator is perfected. Despite being a princess, Yukie intends to continue acting, and the next film she's starring in is an adaptation of one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels,(Makeout Paradise: The Movie) much to Kakashi's surprise, who says "That script! She's perfect!" (This was actually seen on episode 101, Kakashi staring amazed at a billboard advertisement of the movie.) Aparently, the autograph-wanting Naruto received an envelope from Sasuke afterwards, who got shocked looks from the other members of Team 7, including Naruto himself. Inside was a signed picture from Yukie. The picture was of a bandaged up (and apparently unconscious) Naruto in the hospital, receiving a kiss on the cheek from the actress. (Whether or not Sasuke actually drew the rainbow and star design on the envelope remains unknown.) At the end of the credits, the crew that make the Princess Gale movie say cut and all cheer.

Cast

 * Children Voices by Kate Higgins and Dave Wittenberg
 * Additional Voices by David Jeremiah, Daran Norris, Jamie Simone, and Kari Wahlgren.

Trivia

 * The characters and setting of "The Adventures of Princess Fuun" pay homage to the Chinese novel, "Journey to the West."
 * Princess Fuun is a take-off of Xuanzang the priest.
 * Tsukuyaku is a take-off of Sun Wukong the monkey.
 * Shishimaru is a take-off of Zhu Bajie the pig-monster.
 * Brit is a take-off of Sha Wujing the water-demon.
 * This movie reinforces the notion that Naruto takes place in a modernized age, due to the existence of a movie theater. However, in one part of the film it appears that some characters (or in this case Naruto) have never heard of a train.
 * Although in the movie Naruto uses his Rasengan and Sasuke uses his Chidori, in the manga they never went on a single mission together after learning them.
 * This movie shows a teenage Kakashi as a ANBU rescuing Princess Yukie as a child, though it is not clear what sort of mission he was on.
 * The movie takes place chronologically between the Tsunade and Tea Country arcs, after the Naruto movie special (combined episodes 95-96) and after Tsunade heals Sasuke and Kakashi (episode 98).