Baby Assassins: Nice Days, Yugo Sakamoto’s third installment in the series, is a skillful blend of humor, action, and profound emotional depth. The film reunites the team in front of and behind the camera to craft a movie that not only delivers stellar fights and genuine emotional beats but also resonates with the audience on a deeper, more personal level.
Compared to its predecessors, Baby Assassins Nice Days is more serious in tone. It revolves around themes of maturity and adulthood, exploring the complexities and challenges associated with this stage of life. Despite the focus on these themes, the film remains captivating and compelling. The darker narrative allows our heroes to confront their mortality, providing a poignant counterbalance to the otherwise lighthearted elements. Sakamoto masterfully weaves a tale of friendship with beautifully crafted action scenes.
Sakamoto takes a bold approach by toning down the prominent slacker comedy in the first two movies. Throughout the series, the development of Chisato Sugimoto and Mahiro Fukagawa as characters significantly contributes to the depth and richness of the story. They find strength in each other and develop interests that drive their actions. Thus, their evolving personalities and relationships weave into Nice Days‘ narrative, adding emotional resonance and complexity to the plot.
Baby Assassins Nice Days is an engaging blend of humor, action, and emotional depth, making it one of the year’s most enjoyable action films.
However, Baby Assassins Nice Days remains fun and filled with laughter. Mahiro and Chisato continue to entertain with their chemistry and banter. Their dynamic is as strong as ever, whether trading casual asides or moving in perfect sync during missions. The return of the cleanup crew, a group of quirky characters with unique skills from the previous film, still adds to the fun, even without the light romance. Similarly, new characters Iruka and Riku add a fresh dynamic with their humorous verbal disagreements. However, the standout performance comes from Sosuke Ikematsu, our loveable duo’s fierce yet charismatic antagonist.
The film’s highlights are the action scenes choreographed by Kensuke Sonomura. Sakamoto and Sonomura elevate their game from the first two films, delivering intense and thrilling combat sequences that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The film doesn’t shy away from depicting fatal blows and gunplay, offering an abundance of breakneck combat that fans of the series have come to love. Sonomura’s choreography is akin to great artistry, focusing on style, clarity, and excitement, and his work in this film solidifies him as one of today’s most exciting voices in action cinema.
All the action shines, but the brawls between Mahiro and Kaede truly stand out. Their fights are entertaining and suspenseful, with both actors perfectly matched and effortlessly in sync. Although Kaede’s backstory might receive more attention than necessary, it supplements his single-minded obsession and lack of empathy. As a result, his face-offs with Mahiro are particularly strong, showcasing a clash between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
Overall, Baby Assassins Nice Days is one of the most enjoyable action films of the year. It offers an introspective look at its heroes, surprisingly elevating the action-comedy formula. The action is satisfying on both an entertainment and emotional level, making it a must-watch for fans of the genre. Between Deadpool & Wolverine and Baby Assassins, action fans have been living their best lives these past few weeks.
Rating: 4/5 atoms
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