AllMovie

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (劇場版 NARUTO 大活劇! 雪姫忍法帖だってばよ!! Gekijōban Naruto Daikatsugeki! Yukihime Ninpōchō dattebayo!!, lit. Great Action Scene! Snow Princess' Book of Ninja Arts) is a 2004 Japanese animated action-adventure 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 takes place after episode 101. The ending song is called Home Sweet Home and is sung by Yuki. The English adaptation replaced this song with "Never Give Up" by Jeremy Sweet due to licensing restrictions. An original video animation, Konoha Annual Sports Festival (木ノ葉運動会 Konoha Undōkai), 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 a sports 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). Minato Namikaze also makes an appearance in the shot.