Boruto: Naruto the Movie

image for Boruto: Naruto the Movie

Short takes

Not recommended under 14, parental guidance recommended 14-15 (Violence; Themes)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Boruto: Naruto the Movie
  • a review of Boruto: Naruto the Movie completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 22 October 2015.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 14 Not recommended due to violence and themes
Children 14-15 Parental guidance recommended due to violence and themes
Children 15 and over OK for this age group

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Boruto: Naruto the Movie
Classification: M
Consumer advice lines: Animated violence
Length: 95 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

Boruto: Naruto the Movie is the eleventh animated ‘Naruto’ film, based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto. The film (which is in Japanese with English subtitles) follows Naruto Uzamaki, the 7th Hokage of Konohagakure. Naruto’s young son, Boruto, is set to enter the Chunin exams and train as a shinobi alongside other talented entrants.

The movie details the quests and battles of the exams – Boruto and his team excel during the initial stages. However, when Boruto defeats a particularly challenging opponent with a clone jutsu, his father Naruto realises that Boruto has engaged in underhanded tactics in an effort to win. Disappointed, Naruto disqualifies his son.

Boruto has hated his father for most of his life, as a result of Naruto’s absences and lack of parental compassion. Upon being disqualified, Boruto finally lashes out verbally at his father. Soon after his outburst, two attackers appear and attempt to kidnap Naruto. Although it appears that Naruto dies during the battle, Boruto holds out hope that he is still alive and works to find him.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Ninjas; relationships and parenting; loyalty and trust; honour and sacrifice

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There are many scenes of violence throughout the film, including extended battles. There are explosions and magic and use of weaponry such as swords and axes. The characters can manipulate elements such as fire, lightning and water in order to defeat their opponents. Examples include:

  • Boruto is bound to a tree and his opponents burn his torso with magic fire as he yells in pain.
  • During an extended battle sequence lasting 15 minutes, one of Naruto’s allies is slashed across the chest with an axe and a blood stain appears on his shirt. An enemy is captured and stabbed with blades of light, then struggles to escape, injuring his arm where a wound with exposed muscle and sinew appears. Blood pools around the feet of this man and drips down a set of stairs.
  • The injured enemy is converted by magic into a small red fleshy lump by one of his allies who then eats him and transforms into a demon.
  • Naruto appears to be dead after he sacrifices himself to protect Boruto and Sasuke.

 

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

The frequent violence, which includes magic and transformations, is likely to be very scary for this age group. There are also many scenes of characters in peril, including:

  • Some of the tests that Boruto and Sarada undertake can be visually dramatic and potentially scary to younger viewers (e.g. the two are in danger of falling into a deep lake of ink, but they manage to prevent themselves from falling by using a wire).

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

Naruto’s apparent sacrifice of his own life to save Boruto and Sasuke is likely to disturb this age group – however, Boruto does not believe that his father is truly dead.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

Children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the above-mentioned scenes.

Thirteen and overinfo

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Younger children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the violent and disturbing scenes described above.

Product placement

None of concern

Sexual references

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern

Use of substances

None of concern

Coarse language

None of concern

In a nutshell

Boruto: Naruto the Movie is an action-packed animated story about family, honour and sacrifice. The film explores the complex nature of relationships, and provides an in-depth commentary on the necessity of finding balance. Naruto is frequently unavailable to his son Boruto as a result of his work obligations, and it causes intense friction and distance in their relationship. However, whilst the film implies that Naruto must re-address his central priorities, it also highlights the need for Boruto to be more understanding towards his father.

The film presents a realistic impression of battle (despite the supernatural and magical elements involved). It also explores the courage it takes to overcome both physical and mental obstacles when engaged in battle. The film’s themes and the many scenes of violence make it unsuitable for children under 14 with parental guidance recommended for slightly older teens.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • The complex nature of relationships in both friendships and families.
  • The difficulties involved in parenting, and finding a balance between being strict and kind.
  • The importance of self-sacrifice, and also working together with other individuals in order to achieve a common goal.
  • Never giving up, despite being faced with innumerable obstacles.