Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura are executing their mission of delivering a lost pet to a certain village. However, right in the midst of things, troops led by the mysterious knight, Temujin, attack them. In the violent battle, the three become separated. Temujin challenges Naruto to a fight and at the end of the fierce battle, both fall together from a high cliff...
Legend of the Stone of Gelel is a fairly standard filler-arc Naruto movie that delivers competent action and animation for its era but offers little that distinguishes it from the TV series or other entries in the franchise. The plot is a predictable villain-with-good-intentions story built around a MacGuffin (the Stone of Gelel), and the three-way separation setup resolves in an unsurprising fashion. The voice acting is solid and consistent with the series' established performances. Cinematography is serviceable TV-movie animation — a step above the show but nothing remarkable. Novelty is low as the film recycles familiar Naruto tropes and a standard 'misguided idealist' antagonist without fresh ideas. The ending wraps up too neatly and lacks emotional impact, feeling rushed and unearned given the stakes presented.