BABY ASSASSINS 3 Review: A Killer Threequel That Thrills
BABY ASSASSINS 3 stars Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa, and Sosuke Ikematsu
akari takaishi
BABY ASSASSINS 3: Win A Blu-Ray Copy Of The Smash Hit Action Threequel From Well Go USA!
The film arrives on digital and Blu-Ray on August 26!
BABY ASSASSINS 3: Well Go USA Completes The Trilogy With The Official Trailer
Coming to digital and Blu-Ray in August from WELL GO USA!
GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer New Teaser For Kensuke Sonomura’s Latest!
Back to remind us of how cool Akari Takaishi and Masanori Mimoto are is the latest official teaser for supernatural action thriller, Ghost Killer. This one goes a little bit beyond for me in terms of my adoration for the film’s director, Kensuke Sonomura whose work quickly gained traction here in the states upon the release of his feature debut, Hydra, in 2019. Imaginably, if you’re curious about Sonomura’s back catalog of stunt work, there should be plenty to dive into. I can’t remember the last time I saw Yuichi Mori’s animated spectacle, Tekken: Bloodline, which Sonomura did the action for. I loved it then, and of course there’s Mamoru Oshii’s Nowhere Girl, Sabu’s crime comedy Hold Up Down, and Kenta Fukasaku’s Black Rat to name a few, and of course, Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins franchise. Alas, Takaishi, Mimoto, and Sonomura are additionally joined on Ghost Killer by Sakamoto who penned […]
Fantastic Fest XIX Review: Kensuke Sonomura’s GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer Thriller With Supernatural Delight
Ideally, if you follow a certain filmmaker favorite long enough, the possibilities grow even more fascinating in terms of tangential topical discourse. For starters, I’ve seen the action fandom opine over the connectivity of Jesse V. Johnson’s films, and chatter over what Jason Statham’s cameo in Michael Mann’s Collateral could mean. Even Hasbro is on the verge of finally coalescing two of its hit properties since Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers entry last year. By extension, I imagine a world nowadays where discussions could – if not already – begin materializing on the kind of tapestrial coherence of the burgeoning directorial work of action specialist, Kensuke Sonomura. Immediately with 2019’s Hydra and 2022’s Bad City, Sonomura proved his vigor and value as a cinematic storyteller capable of putting together quality action cinema marketable to audiences worldwide. In doing so, he’s introduced fans to a colloquial cinematic world all his own – […]
GHOST KILLER Haunts With A First Teaser For Kensuke Sonomura’s Festival Latest!
Leave it to a surprise in my DMs to find out that Kensuke Sonomura has been keeping more than busy aside from his dealings over in Bad City and with the Baby Assassins franchise and Kenji Tanigaki’s upcoming The Furious. Monday morning over in Japan saw the first teaser trailer revealed for Ghost Killer, something I only wish I knew about sooner with this also being the latest co-production between Well Go USA Entertainment and Rights Cube. What?! Now how’s that for a partnership? What’s more is that Sonomura’s Ghost Killer marks the latest graduating lead role for actress Akari Takaishi who takes the reins alongside actor Masanori Mimoto who continues to be a fixture in Sonomura’s work since 2019’s Hydra. And, Baby Assassins franchise helmer Yugo Sakamoto is the man with the pen for the film’s script with Sonomura shepherding the winning action direction, and with a World Premiere […]
BABY ASSASSINS: NICE DAYS Official Trailer Pits Two Assassins Against An Unbeatable Killer
Writer and director Yugo Sakamoto’s new action thriller is well on the way with Baby Assassins: Nice Days, now third in line to a franchise that is also still growing with an upcoming spin-off drama in the works as well. The film just awarded its helmer the coveted Daniel A. Craft Award For Excellence In Action Cinema and, as we speak, is screening for eager Fantasia Festival attendees this week. The film rejoins Saori Izawa and Akari Takashi for another run as buddying assassin duo Chisato and Mahiro, whose latest work-cation hire soon pits them against a seemingly unbearable assassin, played by none other than Sosuke Ikematsu (The Last Samurai, Killing). The film also stars Atsuko Maeda and Otani Mondo, along with a new high energy title track that now stands incumbent with the film’s forthcoming marketing. I loved this film, and it just so happens that contributing writer Shaun […]
BABY ASSASSINS Is Getting A Killer Dozen Episodes For TV Tokyo Later This Year
A twelve-episode series is in order at TV Tokyo for a continuation of the Baby Assassins franchise. Actors Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa will reprise their roles as portrayed in the current films from writer/director Yugo Sakamoto. The announcement comes off the heels of the teaser for the third and latest feature installment, Baby Assassins: Nice Days, which arrives on September 27 in Japan. According to the film’s official website, the series will broadcast in the weeks leading up to the film’s release. In addition to Sakamoto, who is penning and directing the show, action director Kensuke Sonomura (Hydra, Bad City) will set the stage for the show’s action sequences. Plot details remain under wraps, as does the show’s broadcast plans outside Japan. 2021’s Baby Assassins became a mid-pandemic hit, following the killer exploits of two highly-skilled assassins, high school girls, Chisato, and Mahiro. Their resolve is tested upon gradutation when […]
BABY ASSASSINS 3 Goes Surpisingly Dark In Its First Teaser Trailer!
If you’re an action cinema fan and you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve probably heard of the Baby Assassins films. Currently one of Japan’s finest exports, the series has balanced quirky comedy with slick fight choreography (courtesy of one of the best in the industry right now, Kensuke Sonomura), which is why action junkies were shocked when the teaser for BABY ASSASSINS 3 dropped. There looks to be a distinct lack of their trademark comedy this time around. It feels much darker in tone and dare I say that the film might have more action? Check out the teaser and the first poster below. Yugo Sakamoto returns to the director’s chair and, of course, Saori Izawa and Akari Takaishi return as the titular assassins. Baby Assassins 2 is currently out on Blu-Ray in the US courtest of WellGo USA and hits their HI-YAH! […]
BABY ASSASSINS 2: Win A Blu-Ray Copy Of The Hit Action Comedy Sequel Releasing April 2 From Well Go USA!
It took scrolling to a random tweet in the past week or so to inform me that a third installment of the hit lo-fi hit Baby Assassins franchise is well on the way for later this year. So, I guess we can add this on our 2024 calendars going forward. In the meantime, the second and latest release from Well Go USA with Baby Assassins 2 is coming next week to Digital and Blu-Ray, and we’ve got two Blu-Rays to give out to the masses. All you need to do is share with us your favorite action scene from any of the works of the film’s action director, Kensuke Sonomura, and write your answers to filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com. This contest expires after 11:59pm EST on April 1, and is available only to residents in the United States. Good luck, and be on the lookout for the film’s Hi-YAH! streaming launch on July […]
Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In BABY ASSASSINS: 2 BABIES, The Work Is Its Own Reward
Life is still as hard as ever for an assassin trying to make it in today’s economy with a decent part-time job. Such was the case in 2021’s Baby Assassins for endearing killer roomies Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) as the two stood toe-to-toe with heavily-armed yakuza gangsters with daily responsibilties to fulfill in between. Two years later, the oddball duo is still “killing it” while trying to get the hang of adulting in writer/director Yugo Sakamoto’s latest sequel, Baby Assassins: 2 Babies. Caught between trying to beat the clock on long-overdue bills while abiding by their assassin guild’s strict policies and dealing with life’s inevitable incidences, Chisato and Mahiro find themselves suspended from the guild and right back at square one, with no choice but to pound the pavement for work. In the interim, little do they know that they have become the targets of Makoto (Tatsuomi […]
Japan Cuts XVI Review: SINGLE8, A Far-Out Concept Not Too Out Of This World
There’s something about watching a film about making a film that arouses the feels. It’s much ado with seeing group creativity in action, which is what makes it so fun seeing films that take on this particular story angle. Narrative and documentary films alike. I immediately point to recent Japan Cuts screenings like Night Cruising and It’s A Summer Film! as notable examples to introduce yet another fun addition to the subgenre as of late, with Ultraman vet Kazuya Konaka’s coming-of-age comedic drama, Single8, set in the late 70s as the fandom of a particular and newly-birthed sci-fi movie franchise began gaining ground around the world. It’s 1978 and George Lucas just reshaped the film landscape with Star Wars, eyeing its fanbase in Japan. Hiroshi (Yu Uemura) loves Star Wars, so much so that he’s fixated on the film’s opening crawl with the Star Destroyer. He daydreams about it in […]
BABY ASSASSINS 2 Pops Off With New Teaser And Poster
Bright and early to get our day started is a brand-new teaser promo for writer/director Hugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins 2. A new poster is up as well, signaling the return of Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa as two young misfit professional killers now struggling to fit into society after reaching adulthood. Both actresses are now joined by the newly-added Joey Beni (Enter The Fat Dragon) and Tatsuomi Hamada (Brave: Gunjyo Senki) who play brothers opposite the duo who are also vying for their economic security, and as new story details revealed on Monday, the hustle and bustle for both pairs will see them going toe-to-toe with one another. Best of all is the last shot of the new promo below with Izawa and Beni whetting our appetites with some serious close-quarters action, per the physical stylings of action director Kensuke Sonomura, and coordinator Naohiro Kawamoto. Also starring are Atom Mizuishi, […]
BABY ASSASSINS 2 Gets A Teaser For Its Spring Release!
The past few years have been two of Hugo Sakamoto’s best, with at least two of his films getting recognition in the U.S. along with distribution deals for A Janitor and the smash hit, Baby Assassins. The latter was especially the latest mile marker for action fans heavily glaring at their radar for titles to look out for and featuring stand-out performances by Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa, and now the team behind the pic, which also has action director Kensuke Sonomura back on the floor, is officially confirming its sequel with a first look teaser, and a pair of posters all announcing its March 24, 2023 release. Check out all the assets below and stick around as we await more into the new year!
BABY ASSASSINS: Now Streaming On Hi-YAH!, Catch The Official Comic-Con U.S. Trailer!
In the late hours of Thursday evening, Well Go USA Entertainment and streaming imprint Hi-YAH! were on hand at Comic Con International: San Diego to promote the upcoming release of Hugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins. The official trailer is now online for the hit action comedy, which stars Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa as two lazy high schoolers moonlighting as career assassins for a private organization with just one important caveat: Their expenses will no longer be covered, forcing them to get regular day jobs when they graduate. Whether or not they can unlearn their sociopathic tendencies and acclimate to societal norms long enough as functioning members of society remains to be seen. However, when their last job ultimately puts them in the crosshairs of an unruly yakuza boss and his incorrigible children, it’s an all-or-nothing fight for survival. Baby Assassins also stars Takashi Nishina, Yasukaze Motomiya, Nagiko Tsuji, Tsubasa Tobinaga, […]
Fantasia XXVI Review: BABY ASSASSINS, Japanese Action Cinema All Grown-Up!
Originally published July 15, 2022: The last several years have seen a notable of proliferation of the newest J-wave of action cinema titles out of Japan. To this end, films like the HiGH&LOW franchise which remains on-going to this day, stars and figures like Shun Oguri, Tak Sakaguchi, Takumi Kitamura and Masanori Mimoto, and directors like Kensuke Sonomura have all been welcome assets amidst the emerging talents of late, and it’s not over yet with other filmmakers and performers bound to leave their mark in the coming weeks and months. This especially goes for director Hugo Sakamoto, who has been increasingly influential in his craft for at least six years to date, having since made waves stateside at Fantastic Fest last year with his most recent endeavor, Baby Assassins. The film is still trekking the festival circuit in North America, and in no short order looks to be a solid […]
BABY ASSASSINS To Make Landfall At Comic Con International This Month!
Published July 8, 2022: Director Hugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins is making a pit stop this month during the Kung Fu Extravaganza panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 21. That’s the day the official U.S. trailer will go live for Sakamoto’s latest action comedy, which will release exclusively on Hi-YAH! the following day before releasing on Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD on August 16. Baby Assassins is latest film from Sakamoto who scored the Jury’s Special Award at the 2022 Fantasporto Film Festival back in April, with audience favor earned from screenings at Glasgow and Fantastic Fest. The film, which will also make its run this summer at Fantasia Festival, also marks his second turn at the helm following his January 2021 action crime thriller, A Janitor, whose featured cast were actresses Akari Takaishi and stunt professional Saori Izawa. Sakamoto reunites with both screen talents this time with a […]
BABY ASSASSINS Kill Or Be Killed In The First Short Trailer For Hugo Sakamoto’s New Actioner
If director Hugo Sakamoto’s name doesn’t ring a bell and you a read sites like this, you’ll be pleased with comes next as a warm welcome to your senses… You can begin by familiarizing yourselves briefly with his action crime thriller breakout, A Janitor, which centered on a high school janitor thrust into action when a gang war between families puts his own cousin in the crossfire. Apparently that film came out in January, and while there wasn’t any information logged in any of the English-friendly info sites, I certainly hope this helps puts eyes on Sakamoto’s newest female-fronted effort, Baby Assassins, starring Akari Takashi and actress/martial artist and another favorite of The Hit List, Saori Izawa in a debut lead role. Chisato and Mahiro, a pair of high school girls who are assassins, have to become “members of society” to disguise their true identities from tomorrow. They are tangled […]
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