Baby Walkure is a splendid, low-budget action comedy.

 

Sometimes a movie sells itself on its' concept alone. Other times a movie can just be a fun time. The movie that today's blog post is focused on just so happens to be both. Directed and written by adept filmmaker Yugo Sakamoto, I am of course referring to Baby Walkure, also known as Baby Assassins or Baby Valkyrie depending on which region you're in. 

Baby Walkure follows the story of two high school graduates, Chisato and Mahiro. As with any other girl their age, the duo are searching for part-time jobs in order to make a living and fit into society. That's not all though as the pair are actually also assassins for hire, very unusual for girls their age and people in general I suppose. They both work for the same organisation and it was their employers that suggested that the pair find themselves part-time jobs. It was also suggested that the pair live together which the girls reluctantly accepted. The duo work well together, but due to being polar opposites, living together is a nightmare. Chisato is a rather bubbly, outgoing and social extrovert, whereas Mahiro is a much more introverted, shy and less outgoing kind of girl. Much of the movie revolves around the pair's adjustment to their new living arrangement and how they grow to accept sharing an apartment. Whilst they adjust to living together, they perform several jobs and one in particular causes them some problems. A hit they perform on a guy linked to a Yakuza family comes back to haunt them as the Yakuza seek vengeance for their fallen man. 

Yugo Sakamoto is rather adept at swiftly making movies with very low budgets, shooting as many as three separate movies a year. Baby Walkure is one such low budget movie and it does show, particularly in instances where the CGI blood can be seen in the action sequences. The low budget does not take away from the pleasant viewing experience however, and Sakamoto is able to create a compelling narrative without having to break the bank. He successfully managed to weave together an action comedy that focuses on a pair of polar opposite gals having to deal with living together and being around each other for most of the day as they work together on dangerous jobs. He also makes great use of subtle lighting, changing colour hues depending on the scene and using contrast to highlight key moments. He also managed to pull what I thought could have been a bait and switch in regards to the main villain of the movie, the guy I thought would be the main villain ended up dying far swifter than I expected. I'm ok with that though as the scene felt more realistic due to the quick deaths.   

The fight scenes are wonderful, a joy to watch. What makes the action so captivating is the fact that the choreography has kept the fact that the main characters are rather small compared to some of their adversaries. Mahiro gets involved in some fights in which she takes on men that are larger in stature than her. Fortunately, she doesn't ridiculously overpower and out muscle the larger males. She doesn't ragdoll them or toss them all over the place, instead she uses her skill, technique and weapons in order to overcome them. Also commendable is the way in which the action scenes are shot, with every punch, kick or throw clearly being visible. It definitely helped having Masanori Mimoto in the cast and of course the excellent action director, Kensuke Sonomura.

Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa are the heart of the movie. Their sublime performances breath life into Chisato and Mahiro. The pair have a wonderful chemistry and the friendship between their characters truly carries the narrative and ensures that the viewers are engaged form start to finish. Akari brings some bubbly flamboyance to the role of Chisato and is believably clumsy whilst also having some rather violent outbursts. Saori Izawa was my personal favourite as she gave an unbelievably relatable performance in the role of Mahiro. Her dry aloofness along with her being uncomfortable and awkward in social situations made me love the character and able to relate to her despite her being an assassin. She also handled her really tough action sequences exemplary and looked like a pro that had been doing it for years. 

I always enjoy seeing Masanori Mimoto as he's criminally underappreciated in terms of what he brings to the action genre and he was great as the most dangerous of the Yakuza. I also enjoyed Nagiko Tsuji's rather loud performance as the daughter of the Yakuza boss. She might not be to everyone's taste, but she looked like she was having a blast. 

Overall, Baby Walkure is a very enjoyable experience that as I previously mentioned, manages to blend together action, comedy and a tale of two girls having to suddenly cohabit an apartment. I'd definitely recommend t to those who like action movies, comedies and those who enjoy a solid character flick.