Baby Assassins is a Japanese action comedy film with unconventional plot and intriguing characters that surprised me very positively. The movie is not as immature as its title or movie poster might suggest and actually has much to offer for teenage and adult audiences around the world.
The story revolves around high school graduates and teenage friends Chisato and Mahori. They have recently moved to a small but cozy apartment where they are living together in downtown Tokyo. Their characters couldn't be more different from each other. Chrisato is sociable, quirky, outgoing, humorous and adventurous as she is constantly trying to get new part-time jobs and meet new people. Mahori on the other side is unconventional, thoughtful, serious, quiet and antisocial and doesn't like getting side jobs or making new friends. However, the two young women have one thing in common: they are professional assassins. One day, they are instructed to kill a member of an infamous Yakuza family. The victim's colleagues try to find out who murdered him and soon start discovering, investigating and observing the two assassins. When two more important members of the same family are killed in self-defence, Chisato and Mahori must face off against the entire clan led by a vengeful daughter who hides sadistic tendencies under her joyful behaviour.
This unique movie managed to convince me on several levels. First and foremost, the three female lead actresses offer quite different acting skills and complement one another perfectly. Their characters are dynamic, intriguing and unique and make viewers care about them. It's also refreshing that none of these characters are dressed up in elegant ways or involved in any romantic relationships. The characters simply manage to shine brightly on their own without being associated to any sexist stereotypes or cumbersome side plots. Up next, the story might not be too complicated to follow but offers quite a few surprising twists and turns mixing hilarious situation comedy with brutal martial arts sequences. This movie feels like a rollercoaster ride as you never quite know what to expect from the next scene. The locations have also been chosen with care and vary from sinister hideouts over cozy apartments to colourful cafés. The film has a perfect length with ninety-five minutes and has entertained me from start to finish.
One could criticize that the plot needs some time to unfold and might be rather simple at the end of the day. Other people will complain that the movie is too colourful, experimental and weird. However, those elements haven't bothered me at all. I actually appreciated getting to know the two heroines and their environment before getting thrown into the main plot. The movie's quirky side represents contemporary Japanese culture in downtown Tokyo very well and makes me want to discover the country's bubbly side even more. I would even go as far to say that I would like to watch a sequel to this movie as I have grown to appreciate the two lead characters very much and think that their unconventional adventures could easily be made into a television or movie series. Coming from someone who usually despises sequels and barely watches any television series, this compliment is as big and sincere as it gets.
As you can read, my final evaluation of this film is very positive. If you like adventurous, colourful, contemporary, creative and diversified storytelling that breaks genre boundaries, then you can't get around this underrated gem that deserves more appreciation, attention and recognition. Baby Assassins certainly is one of the most entertaining movies I have watched in a long time and has left a lasting impression on me.
