PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’m a huge fan of the Baby Assassins series. It’s truly feels like something unique in the sphere of action comedies, combining slacker/hang out comedy and knock down drag out martial arts/gun fights. Read on for why I think Baby Assassins 3 may be the best in the series.
Synopsis
We’ve seen them fight, we’ve seen them chill, but in BABY ASSASSINS 3, we see Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) at the apex of their skills as they take on a brutally nihilist freelance killer who aims to take their place atop the assassin food chain. Director Sakamoto Yugo and action director Sonomura Kensuke are back with the most exciting and dangerous chapter in the Baby Assassins saga to date. This time, it’s a fight for their lives
Baby Assassins 3 was written and directed by Sakamoto Yugo (A Janitor). The film stars Akari Takaishi (Ghost Killer), Saori Izawa (A Janitor), Sôsuke Ikematsu (The Last Samurai), Atsuko Maeda (Shin Godzilla), Atomu Mizuishi (Baby Assassins franchise), and Tomo Nakai (Sayonara, Girls)
Baby Assassins is a super fun action comedy franchise. In the series we follow Chisato and Mahiro, two young adult assassins as they eat food, hang out and assassinate people. For the first two films it’s followed a simple formula: Lots of hang outs with some martial arts and gun fights throughout. Baby Assassins 3 takes this formula and shakes it up by having action consistently throughout the run-time, making this entry feel fresh and unique in the franchise.
I’ve really enjoyed watching these young ladies come into their own. They’re still the loveable slackers they have always been, they just take things a bit more seriously as the stakes are much high. As always, Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa are a joy to watch as Chisato and Mahiro. It’s so much fun to watch them go from slackers barely scrapping by and barely tolerating each other to becoming friends who genuinely care about each other and work together well. In addition to our terrific leads, we have some returning favorites as well as some interesting new characters that shake things up a bit.
One thing that has always been top notch in the Baby Assassins series is the quality of the action. Action director Sonomura Kensuke (from the phenomenal Ghost Killer) has always brought his A game but Baby Assassins 3 ups the ante significantly. Every fight feels intense and dangerous, like our protagonists maybe not make it out of the next fight alive and that does wonders for keeping you invested in what’s going on and keeping the series feeling fresh and not just a rehash of what’s came before. While I don’t think the final fight scene is quite as good or intense as the one from Baby Assassins 2, the film maintains a sense of urgency that takes the series to fun new heights.
Final Thoughts
Baby Assassins 3 continues the series formula for hilarious comedy and knock down drag out action while offering up enough twists and turns to keep things fresh. As always, Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa an absolute joy to watch. Bring on the next one! Highly recommended.
