Tag: Action

Baby Assassins Franchise – Friendship, Mayhem, and the Future of Japan’s Funniest Hitwomen

In what makes the Baby Assassins franchise unique is its blend of over-the-top action with sitcom absurdities, showing how Mahiro and Chisato juggle odd jobs, bills, and bullets. And we talk about its spin-off TV series too!

Baby Assassins Franchise - Third Film Bluray CaseWell GO USA
Check out the reviews for the second flick, Babies, and the third one, Nice Days.

Now that Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins 3 is available on home video in North America, watching all three films back-to-back shows just how uniquely fun this franchise has become. Better still, the story isn’t finished. It’s not over yet for the Baby Assassins franchise!; a 12-episode spin-off mini-series aired on TV Tokyo in September 2024. It is available for import through YesAsia, but without English subtitles, leaving fans to hope the North American distributor will secure international rights.

What makes the series stand out is its mix of action, deadpan and comedy. Imagine Laverne and Shirley—if they were professional killers. That’s the dynamic between Mahiro (Saori Izawa) and Chisato (Akari Takaishi). One is outgoing and impulsive, while the other is more laid back and prefers to avoid action unless persuaded. Their partnership feels like a live-action twist on the “girls with guns” formula, with classics such as Dirty Pair and Noir serving as touchstones. The franchise succeeds because these stories balance buddy-cop banter with constant clashes against the criminal underworld, keeping the familiar tropes fresh.

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Baby Assassins 3 Is Finally Coming to Home Video!

Baby Assassins 3 is headed to North America to satisfy fans of the girls with guns genre, and they got some biggums here!

Baby Assassins 3 Nice DaysWell GO USA
Release Date: August 26 

After Baby Assassins 3 successful run last year at Fantasia Film Festival, Well GO USA is finally releasing this killer action movie to home video! It’s a fun ride to chart what’s next in the relationship between Akari Takaishi (Chisato Sugimoto) and Saori Izawa (Mahiro Fukagawa), and our movie review can be read here. These girls may seem like today’s answers to the Dirty Pair from long ago, but they have other issues that go beyond being trained by professionals to be the best trouble consultants, often hired to take down targets for one reason or another!

Writer/Director Sakamoto Yugo (A Janitor) and action director Sonomura Kensuke (Ghost Killer) return to keep this franchise going, and in this latest chapter, what they have to deal with isn’t too hard to follow. Continue reading “Baby Assassins 3 Is Finally Coming to Home Video!”

Watch out! City Hunter Angel Dust is Coming to Home Video Next Month!

No, City Hunter Angel Dust is not the end, but the beginning of what may be new teams to reimagine this franchise.

City Hunter Angel Dust Bluray CoverPress Release

Ryo Saeba’s crime sweeping adventures continue in City Hunter Angel Dust as the action comedy arrives on Blu-Ray™ in select North American e-commerce stores from Anime Limited, with distribution by Shout! Studios. This latest high-octane installment based on Tsukasa Hojo’s wildly popular manga of the same name boasts the franchise’s signature blend of hard-boiled humor with gritty combat, in a stylish return to form that longtime fans and collectors won’t want to miss.

Produced by the acclaimed Sunrise studio and directed by Kayuyoshi Takeuchi—with general direction by franchise veteran Kenji Kodama, the original director of the City Hunter TV series—Angel Dust reunites voice legends Kamiya Akira (Ryo Saeba) and Ikura Kazue (Kaori Makimura) mark what is considered the beginning of the franchise’s epic final chapter.

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Ghostbusters Dead Man’s Chest Is A Yo Ho Ho of Drama Than A Battle At Sea

When the accidental summoning of Captain Kidd’s spirit disrupt the Spengler family’s continuing problems with a new life in NYC, Ghostbusters Dead Man’s Chest better not be opened too!

Ghostbusters Dead Man's Chest #1 CoverDark Horse Comics
Mild Spoiler Alert

Although Phoebe isn’t afraid of no ghost, she has a lot more to fear when being the odd girl out at school in the second series of the comic book continuation of who makes up the team. Two issues into Ghostbusters Dead Man’s Chest, readers like me get to determine what this key tale is about instead of seeing pirates take over Manhattan! As this continuation is more concerned about how well the Spengler family adjusts to having a father figure around, perhaps mom is worried about losing control. After all, this is New York!

To let them loose in a big city might seem dangerous, and as long as they don’t venture into certain neighbourhoods, they are safe. While the young girl has enough to deal with at school because everyone recognizes her, she’s at least able to make a friend–Sammy. Meanwhile, Trevor has trouble figuring out how to advance his relationship with Lucky. They are friends, but it’s easy to know he wants more!

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When Predator: Killer of Killers Aims for the Top, the Action Will Keep Fans on the Edge of Their Seat!

When more Yautja culture is revealed in Predator: Killer of Killers, what’s revealed is exhilarating and I’m sure we want more!

Predator Killer of Killers Movie PosterAvailable to Stream on Hulu
Spoiler Alert

Over the years, the lore surrounding the Yautja has evolved. In the latest installment, Predator: Killer of Killers, they seek more than just the thrill of the hunt. From standalone films to crossovers with the Aliens universe and various comic books, each iteration adds something new to this elite race of galactic hunters.

Should one of their targets survive by defeating a Predator, that individual earns a mark of respect. Without giving away too much of this animated magnum opus, the story by Dan Trachtenberg (who also directs) and Micho Robert Rutare raises the stakes. It honors the tradition of the original film while incorporating familiar elements from both the live-action entries and comic books—such as the possibility that a clan leader might offer the victor a place among them.

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With Lilo and Stitch in 2025, What’s Significantly Bad Isn’t All That Extremely Good

Disney really should stop remaking fond classics, especially with Lilo and Stitch, and simply concentrate on coming up with original material.

Lilo and Stitch 2025 PosterSpoiler Alert

The live-action Lilo and Stitch movie will not please everyone, and when it’s significantly different from the original material, not everyone is going to enjoy it. When this young girl’s relationship (wonderfully played by Maia Kealoha) with Myrtle (Emery Hookano-Briel) is nonexistent, I groaned. Their conflict makes up a significant part of the series as this rival believes her family is better than most Polynesians. To be exact, this girl has a superiority complex. And as for the two aliens who would eventually become friends with the title characters, even I was wondering why change them up that much?

A lot of the humour comes from Jumba’s mad god complex and Pleakley’s belief he knows this world. Even in the alt-universe versions of the series, the new showrunners never changed their purpose; and I’ve looked at both Stitch! and Stitch and Ai (review links) to know why some characters stick around. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen are decent when performing their own stuff, but when trying to live up to the past material, they really do not measure up.

Without this double act done proper, what’s presented doesn’t make too much sense. I wanted to hear the big hippo hybrid speak with a Russian accent. As for the one eyed alien, what made him a fan favourite is because of all the cross-dressing ventures. Even in human form, to see Billy confused about gender roles and still wear a dress would’ve been a hoot, but it was not done! Continue reading “With Lilo and Stitch in 2025, What’s Significantly Bad Isn’t All That Extremely Good”