Well GO USA
Now Available on Home Video and VOD
Anyone who hasn’t seen Yugo Sakamoto‘s first movie might want a refresher before viewing the sequel, Baby Assassins 2 Babies. It’s a continuation of a whacked out world where people better think twice about whom they annoy. Here, we see Mahiro (Saori Izawa) and Chisato (Akari Takaishi) life continue to unfold as they are “The Organisation’s” most recognised trouble consultants. They’re not cops at all, but are killers on call.
I suspect some of their jobs concern them taking out folks in the criminal underground rather than innocents. But when the real world gets in the way, and they have to get a normal job to make ends meet, that’s when the comedy and slice of life drama get amped up. This aspect turns the series into Japan’s answer to The Odd Couple and I have to chuckle when they have trouble making rent. In this story’s case, it’s about paying the bill for an exclusive club they haven’t visited in years!
In the sequel, they’re challenged by Makoto (Tatsuomi Hamada) and Yuri (Joey Iwanaga) who want to be the new kids on the block. They have what it takes to be the next great thing for this club of killers, but in my eyes, they’re wannabes. They don’t have what it takes. Even though they botch a job, they believe that if they take out the two ladies, they’ll climb up this organisation’s ladder and be in demand. What’s presented is the ultimate satire on buddy films. Although these women are much more skilled in many wonderfully crafted shoot outs and fight scenes, it’s funny to see how the other two try to satisfy their male ego.
Watching Baby Assassins 2 is like watching John Wick. Also, I can’t help but wonder if the 90s anime classics, Dirty Pair and City Hunter are major influences because I see it in the camaraderie between the two groups and in the soundtrack. The movie Baby Driver also comes to mind because the plot concerns these characters simply wanting to earn their keep, ride into the sunset, and be happy with the reputation they deserve.
In this cinematic universe, I’m really wondering just how well this organisation treats its employees. Whether they be mercs or soldiers, it seems everyone has a place, and they’re okay to require their workers’ duke it out for top billing. And if there’s a backstory regarding these side characters, I’m sure they’re explained in Sakamoto’s A Janitor, and Green Bullet.
I searched and it seems these works are not available as region one home video releases. Hopefully, Well GO USA can change that. It’d be cool to have a box set to highlight what this filmmaker is capable of. His brand of comedy is very familiar, and with luck, there’ll be a little study packaged in this release to highlight Yugo’s beginnings. Whether that’s in his own words or through the lens of a film scholar, he’s a creative talent to keep an eye on!
4 Stars out of 5
Baby Assassins 2 Babies Movie Trailer
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