- Director : Hugo Sakamoto
- Actors : Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Joey, Tatsuomi Hamada
- Subtitles: : English
- Language : Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Japanese (Stereo)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : Japan
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Blu-ray
- Run time : 1 hour and 42 minutes
- Release date : April 2, 2024
While I wasn’t
entirely sold on the first Baby Assassins movie, the impressive fight choreography
and execution in the final sequence was more than enough for me to forgive the
narrative meandering that preceded it. Baby Assassins 2 seems to have
learned some good lessons from what didn’t work in the first film, with more
action spread throughout the narrative rather than reserved primarily for the
climax. Unfortunately, the film also never reaches the same heights as achieved
by the jaw-dropping final battle in the first installment. The resulting film
sequel may be more consistently enjoyable, but also doesn’t come close to being
as unforgettable as the original.
As with the
first film, wacky humor is as essential to the Baby Assassins experience
as is the impressively violent fight sequences. Also, like the first film, a majority
of the humor comes from the two young female protagonists being absolutely
disastrous at ordinary adulthood. Baby Assassins 2 once again has young
assassins Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) forced to find
ordinary day jobs when they are banned from taking new hitman jobs for
violating the organization’s rules. At the same time, the irresponsible
criminals find themselves in debt after failing to cancel an automatic subscription,
leaving them desperate for money and only legal means to obtain it.
While Chisato and Mahiro struggle to
live a legal lifestyle, a pair of up-and-coming assassins named Makoto
(Tatsuomi Hamada) and Yuri (Joey Iwanaga) see an opportunity to elevate their
status by attempting to take out their competition. Although this job is
unsanctioned and the hitmen have the element of surprise, there is never any
doubt that Chisato and Mahiro will be able to handle themselves, making humor
the emphasis over suspense even in the battle sequences. While the finale does
have a couple tricks to keep the audience on their toes, the film never aims
for much more than irreverent entertainment, and for the most part it is
successful. A fight between Chisato and Mahiro while the pair are dressed in
bulky mascot suits is a perfect indicator for the type of entertainment Baby
Assassins 2 expertly provides.
The Blu-ray release for Baby
Assassins 2 doesn’t offer much beyond the film itself, and even the high definition
has the unintended effect of making the lower budget of the film more noticeable.
While an improvement from the first film, some of the cinematography still
looks a little rough in places, though none of that seems to matter once
Kensuke Sonomura’s fight choreography begins. The disc comes with no special features
worth mentioning.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 4 /10
Special Features: 0/10
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