Oh how excited I was to catch a screener for this movie! It didn’t disappoint and is exactly what I expected. A femme fatale story similar to the likes of John Wick with it’s own stylish flair. It’s cast was really what sold me immediately. You’ve got Karen Gillan, Michelle Yeoh, Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett and Lena Headey in this nice ensemble. Once I saw that cast list, I remember thinking to myself “YES SIGN ME UP.”
*Minor spoilers ahead*
Karen Gillan plays Sam, our protagonist who also happens to be a hit-man. After getting into some trouble, she ends up having to protect an 8 year old girl who gets thrown in the middle of one of Sam’s high risk jobs. Chaos and beauty ensues. Sam, later has to enlist the help of her long lost mother’s former associates who also all happen to be hit-men. So, what kind of movie is this like? I can instantly draw comparisons of this film to the likes of the John Wick series and Kingsman. Ultra violent stylish actions scenes with badass characters and beautiful set pieces. I cannot praise the eye candy and visual flair this movie serves up enough. So many great locations used well all throughout. My favorite though was probably the bowling alley scene.
The beginning starts off a little slow before it completely takes off. They take their time introducing you to the main character so that you get a better understanding of where they’re coming from. From that point on, the movie doesn’t let up. You’ll be introduced to a colorful cast of characters called the Librarians played by Carla, Angela and Michelle, as I had mentioned before. All the ladies in this movie raise hell, to an onslaught of enemies.
The costumes and props all stick out since the movie utilizes an interesting way of mixing modern tech with vintage ones. It makes for a nice visual clash that makes sense in this world since the cities location is intentionally unspecified. All those details play well into the “retro” feel of the film and what it was going for, and I think it’s unique and different in that sense in a good way. Makes it stand out a bit from the crowd. Also, that soundtrack! *Chefs kiss*
I’m a huge fan of these type of action movies. Exciting, fast paced, ultraviolent, with super fun characters! If you’re looking for a wild ride, this movie is definitely serving that up! The story itself isn’t something brand new or game changing, but for this type of genre, it doesn’t need to be. It works well on its simplicity, and packages its story in a nice box, making for a great presentation overall. This is my cup of tea….or my cup of milkshake…
Gunpowder Milkshake premieres globally on Netflix, July 14th
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