The gripe with Hinata not getting to fight much. Naruto is almost a literal god the end of the manga. If Toneri is just as godly, we're talking way, way, WAY above Kage level. What good could Hinata be, against that?
About Toneri. Is he at least entertaining, because Naruto movies always have some boring Generic Doomsday Villain. Is there anything striking about him at all? Last movie had an evil bizarro Naruto and wasted all potential that could have had.
While enjoying the movie overall , I would have preferred a somewhat longer running time.
I don't much agree with the assessment Hinata being a damsel in distress in the second half of the film. This is arguably the strongest material her character has even been given, exceeded only by her initial fight with Neji and the anime version of her battle with Pain, both of which were just cases of her getting brutally beaten up. Hinata isn't "kidnapped" by Toneri, she goes with him willingly because she has a plan to rescue her sister and undermine Toneri as much as she can which she has to carry out on her own initiative and without telling the others. She has the strength of will to carry on with this plan even after her dearest wish comes true (when Naruto tells her he loves her) and he's blasted by Toneri and left for dead and, for the most part, she succeeds, finding out all about the Tenseigan and discovering its core, which she's able to bring Naruto to later so they can destroy it together. Yes, she's a bit pathetic in the beginning actually when Toneri's puppets first try to kidnap her, and the brainwashed fight with Naruto felt like a wasted opportunity, but I sincerely believe Hinata's has never been portrayed more strongly than in this movie.
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Not bad, but could have been better
OK, I've been literally thinking about the film for a very long time, pondering pros and cons. I could write a full-blown review, but since there is a word limit, here's the bullet point version.
Nedless to say... SPOILERS:
GOOD:
- Naruto and Hinata's moments. They're just adorable together! They really captured why this couple works: because their personalities complement each other perfectly.
- The action scenes are quite a view, with some awesome choreography. Bonus points for the kaiju-like fight between Kurama and Toneri's giant golem.
- The supporting cast is handled magnificently. They made all the right choices regarding which characters to use, how to use them and for how long.
- Good soundtrack. It doesn't stand out much, but when it does, it works perfectly. Special mention to the "Naruto and Hinata" theme.
MIXED:
- The film makes a great effort to earn Naruto realizing his feelings for Hinata, but using as few words as possible. It's admirable, don't get me wrong, and you can really see what they're trying to achieve, but I think it falls a bit short. Which is a shame, this is the part that the movie needed to get right the most.
- Toneri. He presents a decent, believable threat, but his motivation for kidnapping Hinata doesn't make any sense.
BAD:
- Hinata reduced to a damsel in distress in the second half of the film. As a matter of fact, I think there's as much screen time of Hinata kicking ass as Sasuke appearing in the whole film. Seriously, WHAT THE HELL?! I'm not saying she should have been a total badass the whole time, but she had already proven that she's a more competent fighter than she shows in this film. She deserved better than this! This is my only major gripe with the movie, but unfortunately, it's a big one.
- The final battle gets rapped up pretty badly. It's too sudden, and Toneri's change of heart is completely forced and unearned.
Overall, is it good?
Well, I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's definitely not the best the "Naruto" franchise has to offer. I'm glad I saw it, but I think it could have been handled better.