Baby Assassins 3 review: Pure action comedy bliss

My favorite modern movie franchise has returned and upped the ante once again, with another ridiculously fun installment that delivers on the breezy tone, compelling character relationships, and fantastic action design built by the first two movies. Baby Assassins 3 is now out on digital and Blu-ray, and is one of the standout new movies of 2025.

The Baby Assassins movies feel like crime thrillers turned upside-down in the best way possible, as if a pair of fun side characters from an Elmore Leonard novel – complete with goofy outfits and a palpable rapport – showed up and decided the story was about them. These side-characters-turned-leads just happen to be teenagers with all the quirks, downsides, and excitement that come from being young. Oh and, as the title suggests, they’re assassins.

Helmed by writer-director Yugo Sakamoto, with action design by the great Kensuke Sonomura, the movies (and mini-series) follow Chisato (Akari Takaishi, Ghost Killer) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa, a stunt performer who doubled Rina Sawayama in John Wick: Chapter 4) as they try to balance their desires to be lazy teenagers with their busy, deadly jobs.

In the first movie, the pair are ordered to get day jobs to better integrate into society. In the second, a new pair of young assassins tries to take their place. In Baby Assassins 3, Chisato and Mahiro take a job at a vacation destination, hoping for a relaxing week away from the hustle and bustle in the city after they take care of their target. Things get more complicated when a nihilistic killer gets in their way.

I know what I’m getting with the franchise, and Baby Assassins 3 checks all those boxes again, plus more, with meaningful character beats to go along with the terrific action design and funny gags. I was particularly struck by the ways Baby Assassins 3 focuses even further on Chisato and Mahiro’s ride-or-die friendship, contrasting them with other characters to add depth to the relationships. Chisato and Mahiro are still their old selves, spending much of the movie daydreaming about which local food they’re going to try out when they’re finally done with work, and bickering and capering as only besties can do.

But their dynamic is quickly unsettled by an unwelcome surprise. They’re teaming up with two older guild members on this job – a happy-go-lucky ex-bodybuilder and a serious, self-described “competent” assassin who takes on a leadership role. The Baby Assassins aren’t just working alone anymore, and they have to navigate working in a team environment with more experienced assassins who handle things differently than their Gen Z colleagues.

Chisato and Mahiro’s unbreakable bond also serves a thematic purpose, contrasting their relationship with the lonely life of antagonist Kaede Fuyumura (Shin Kamen Rider). A ruthless assassin looking forward to his 150th kill, Kaede has lost himself in his isolation and his work, with no one to talk to (or banter with, as the baby assassins regularly do). That loneliness provides some vulnerabilities our girls can take advantage of, but it also just makes him an unhappy person, constantly looking for loyalty and affirmation from others.

As always, Sonomura’s action design is a symphony of violence and constant motion, combining comedy beats with genuine danger to create an experience that feels simultaneously playful and tense. This franchise has the best gun-fu around – it’s intricate and fun, but full of danger – and Sonomura’s choreo evolves its own concepts as the fighters learn each others’ tendencies. The camera moves with the action, but not so much that it unsettles the viewer.

Baby Assassins 3 gives its two lead actors plenty of opportunities to flex their considerable and varied skills. Izawa is one of the most talented screen fighters working today, and she gets a lot of complicated choreo to work through, but her character Mahiro is also finally turning 20 and has to face what it means to exit her teenage years. Meanwhile, Takaishi is an incredible physical actor with an elastic face who is given a lot of very funny comedic material to work with, particularly when she spirals after forgetting about Mahiro’s birthday.

Like the previous entries in the franchise, Baby Assassins 3 is a terrific action-comedy with an impeccable balance of its genres, and two of the most exciting young action stars working with a strong script and unparalleled action design. It’s 103 minutes of pure entertainment and action movie bliss.

Baby Assassins 3 is now available for digital rental/purchase on VOD vendors. Baby Assassins is available to watch for free with a library card on Hoopla, or for free with ads on Tubi and Pluto TV. Baby Assassins: 2 Babies is available to watch for free with a library card on Hoopla, or for free with ads on Tubi.