Baby Assassins 2 review: Slacker killers, qu'est-ce que c'est?
PV Guide's first subscriber-exclusive review takes aim at one of the best action comedies of the decade
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If you know me, I’ve probably talked your ear off about the Baby Assassins movies at some point. I’ve been absolutely obsessed with the Japanese action comedy franchise since the original was released in 2021, and each new entry (three movies and a TV show!) has gotten better and better. For me, it’s the hands-down best franchise currently running (or at least here’s hoping – no word yet on a Baby Assassins 4), combining some of the best action design of any modern franchise with two standout lead performances, genuinely funny comedy, and room for real life joys and problems within a ridiculous assassin world.
I love them all, but the franchise really started hitting its stride with Baby Assassins 2, fixing some of the structural and pacing issues from the first one while still delivering on the core promises of the series. Baby Assassins is a natural fit between Yugo Sakamoto’s comedic writing, Kensuke Sonomura’s flowing action design, and two star-making lead performances from stars Akari Takaishi (Chisato) and Saori Izawa (Mahiro). But it’s a little sloppy in its narrative construction, with an awkward flashback and a B-plot that breaks up some of the momentum.
Baby Assassins 2 fixes these problems with significantly better pacing while retaining the joys of the original. Because the first movie sold us on the two lead characters, the sequel can open with their opponents instead, and it works very well. The slacker girl assassins of the first movie now have to square off against their mirror image: slacker boy assassins Yuri (Joey Iwanaga) and Makoto (Tatsuomi Hamada). The boys are part-timers in the assassin world and have not been able to join the coveted Assassin’s Guild. Desperate to break in and on a suggestion from their manager, they decide to kill the Baby Assassins to take their spot in the guild.
