Index Investing News
Thursday, May 29, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

‘Baby Assassins 2’ Delivers More Slacker Action/Comedy Greatness [Fantasia Fest 2023]

by Index Investing News
July 30, 2023
in Entertainment
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Home Entertainment
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


A mismatched buddy comedy with great action and lots of talk about food? Yes please.

By Rob Hunter · Published on July 28th, 2023

Films marrying action with comedy are nothing new, and it’s a formula that works for everything from mismatched buddy cop flicks to Hong Kong romps starring Jackie Chan. 2021 saw the arrival of a new take on the action/comedy as Baby Assassins (made my list of 2021’s best action films!) paired a very funny slacker comedy with some blistering action beats. It’s an odd mix as dryly comic conversations and calm lulls give way occasionally to shootouts and brutal fist fights, but the damn thing works beautifully as a whole because those individual halves do too. Writer/director Yugo Sakamoto returns for Baby Assassins 2 alongside the first film’s stars, and they’ve once again delivered the gold standard for bloody and hilarious slacker action/comedies.

Two years after their big dust up with the Assassin Guild and a brutal killer, Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) are once more finding their lazy lifestyle in jeopardy. It seems the pair joined a gym five years ago, went once, and never gave it a second thought, but when an enormous bill comes due the pair discover they’re deep in debt with few ways out. A guild suspension doesn’t help, and soon the young killers are forced to take part-time jobs and eat cheaper foods than they’re accustomed to. Life’s rough, but it soon gets rougher when two other wannabe assassins set their sights on the pair in the hopes of taking their spot in the Guild.

The premise is far simpler this time out, but Baby Assassins 2 still keeps things moving with fun banter and a handful of highly entertaining action beats. After starting his career with somewhat grimmer fare in 2017, Sakamoto’s shift into more comedic work has paid off with a burgeoning franchise that I hope goes on for many more installments. It’s no exaggeration to call these slacker comedies as Chisato and Mahiro are the epitome of the term — couch potatoes with little interest in work, a voracious appetite for food, and minimal ambition for the future.

The pair’s banter shifts effortlessly from various exclamations on the foods they love to the social politics behind restaurant pricing, and their disinterest in all things serious is endlessly evident. One early sequence sees them rush to make a payment at the bank only for the bank to get held up, and it’s not until their deadline is threatened that they step up and clean house. Stress and hunger increase later to the point that a job that has them prancing around in animal costumes quickly devolves into a fun but hard-hitting brawl between the costumed characters while families look on.

The bubbly, goofy Takaishi and the more sedate Izawa are once again a match made in movie heaven, an odd couple given a modern, young adult twist that’s universal in its reality. Some of the comedy leans broad, something not uncommon in Japanese comedies, but the bulk of it lands through sharp, quick-witted deliveries and performances. Baby Assassins 2 is ultimately an ensemble, and the rest of the cast is equally strong on the comedic front with an eclectic group of managers, cleaners, and fellow killers. The two guys vying for our girls’ spots, Makoto (Tatsuomi Hamada) and Yuri (Joey Iwanaga), are a likable pair, charismatic in their ambition and conversations, and rather than view them as villains it’s hard not to see them as entertaining casualties.

As funny as the film is, the antics won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but you’d be a fool not to enjoy the action beats. Like the first film, they’re spread out with the best landing in the film’s third act. While Takaishi sticks to gunplay and fights with editing help, Izawa remains one of Japan’s top action stars in my eyes as she’s a blistering beast in a compact frame. She’s almost always shorter than her fight counterparts, but her fighting style is lightning quick and scrappy as hell. This will be blasphemy to some, but she reminds me of Donnie Yen at times — fists up, bobs and weaves, uppercuts, and some masterful grappling make her fights thrilling and charismatic.

Action choreographer Kensuke Sonomura returns as well, and his work is once again brilliant in the way it takes advantage of space and fighter size. See anything he works on, but make a real point of seeking out his two directorial efforts, Hydra (2019) and Bad City (2022), as they’re both fantastic tales highlighted by stellar fight sequences.

If there’s a relative downside to Baby Assassins 2, it’s that Sakamoto is clearly once again working with a minimal budget. Both these movies are small, a big reason why the action scenes are relatively sparse, but don’t let that be a turn off. The comedy is legitimately funny as Chisato and Mahiro’s relationship offers conflicts and bonding beats a plenty, and hearing them talk about food while eating food becomes a joy in itself. And not for nothing, but the fantastically good final fight also includes a beat that will have you cheering and applauding for days afterward. Seek out both Baby Assassin movies — they’re short and can be enjoyed as one hell of an entertaining double feature of slacker laughs and brutal beatdowns.

Follow all of our Fantasia Fest 2023 coverage here.

Related Topics: Action, Baby Assassins, Fantasia Film Festival

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he’s so damn young. He’s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast News’ as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.

Recommended Reading



Tags: ActionComedyassassinsBabydeliversFantasiaFestgreatnessSlacker
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Intel, Roku, Sweetgreen, Ford

Next Post

EXp Nabs Top-Producing Las Vegas Agent And Team

Related Posts

Who’s Sutton Foster? All About Hugh Jackman’s Girlfriend – Hollywood Life

Who’s Sutton Foster? All About Hugh Jackman’s Girlfriend – Hollywood Life

by Index Investing News
May 29, 2025
0

View gallery Picture Credit score: Getty Pictures When Hugh Jackman, 56, break up from spouse Deborra-Lee Furness, 69, in September...

Did Neil Gaiman allegations make The Sandman season 2 the final?

Did Neil Gaiman allegations make The Sandman season 2 the final?

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

The Sandman Season 2 is about to premiere on Netflix this summer time and can function the ultimate chapter of...

Loopy Trailer for ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ Unhinged Alien Battle Neon Horror

Loopy Trailer for ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ Unhinged Alien Battle Neon Horror

by Index Investing News
May 29, 2025
0

Loopy Trailer for 'Jimmy and Stiggs' Unhinged Alien Battle Neon Horror by Alex Billington Could 28, 2025Supply: YouTube "Like They...

Nick Kroll Remembers Organizing John Mulaney’s Drug Intervention in 2020

Nick Kroll Remembers Organizing John Mulaney’s Drug Intervention in 2020

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

Kroll teamed up with a star-studded group of comedy greats to assist manage an intervention for Mulaney, who finally ended...

Kandi Burruss Celebrates Chef Melvin’s Birthday With Heartfelt Message

Kandi Burruss Celebrates Chef Melvin’s Birthday With Heartfelt Message

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

Instagram/@kandi Melvin had the adoration on Instagram from Kandi Burruss within the presence on his birthday. The yr he has...

Next Post
EXp Nabs Top-Producing Las Vegas Agent And Team

EXp Nabs Top-Producing Las Vegas Agent And Team

Malaysia reverses plan to take legal action against Meta over harmful content By Reuters

Malaysia reverses plan to take legal action against Meta over harmful content By Reuters

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Pence to fight subpoena in probe of Trump’s 2020 election denial -source By Reuters

Pence to fight subpoena in probe of Trump’s 2020 election denial -source By Reuters

February 14, 2023
Bitcoin Price Prediction – Can It Hold ,000 After FTX Sold B in Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF? Or Is Bitcoin’s Bull Run Over?

Bitcoin Price Prediction – Can It Hold $40,000 After FTX Sold $1B in Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF? Or Is Bitcoin’s Bull Run Over?

January 26, 2024
May US tariffs ramp-up deflationary forces in Europe? By Investing.com

May US tariffs ramp-up deflationary forces in Europe? By Investing.com

December 9, 2024
Rangers star to “finally” leave Ibrox

Rangers star to “finally” leave Ibrox

July 14, 2023
QCOM Earnings: Qualcomm Q1 2025 revenue rises on greater revenues

QCOM Earnings: Qualcomm Q1 2025 revenue rises on greater revenues

February 6, 2025
Latam Insights: Tim Draper’s Bitcoin Prophecy for El Salvador, Bukele’s Bitcoin Rush

Latam Insights: Tim Draper’s Bitcoin Prophecy for El Salvador, Bukele’s Bitcoin Rush

March 18, 2024
L.A. may restrict how landlords can display potential tenants

L.A. may restrict how landlords can display potential tenants

March 12, 2022
Ashley Graham Collaborates With Pottery Barn Kids On Fun And Functional Spaces For Her Sons

Ashley Graham Collaborates With Pottery Barn Kids On Fun And Functional Spaces For Her Sons

October 19, 2022
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In