Updated: Dec 10, 2021
Welcome back you Inglorious Bastards and Magnificent Bitches. It is I, Doc Comeau and we are back for another movie review. Today we are reviewing Gunpowder Milkshake from Netflix's library or original films.
Authored by Doc Comeau on Wednsday, July 28th, 2021 at 7:09 PM EST
So I watched this because I am a fan of most of the actors and actresses of this movie and as always they didn't disappoint. They each brought their a game and none of their characters were one dimensional. They all went through full and satisfying arcs that left me satisfied with the outcomes.
Gunpowder Milkshake is a Netflix original film written by Navot Papushado, and Ehud Lavski. It is the story about an assassin that grows a conscience and tries to do the right thing. A choice her employers try and make her regret throughout the film.
I went into this thinking I was going to watch a feminist propaganda film, and while it did have feminist undertones, it didn't relegate all the men to bumbling idiots. The film did a great job trying to juggle the issues without pushing the misconceptions. A fact that I was both surprised and happy with as most movies that promote powerful women do so by making the men look weak and stupid.
Gunpowder Milkshake was directed by Navot Papushado and stars Karen Gillian.
Gillian plays Sam an orphan raised by an organized crime syndicate to rid them or their problems. A job she took very seriously until the events of this movie.
This is a far different role than the one she played in Doctor Who or the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Though it is a role she embodies with full conviction. They could have used a few scenes to show her learning her skills as a killer for hire, but they do address it by letting the audience know she grew up in a Library of Weaponry ran by a Sorority of warrior women.
While on a job for her organization Sam decides to adjust her motivations and help another orphan girl. As a result, she is labeled a traitor by the organization and must spend the rest of the film surviving her coworkers. Coworkers who were sent by her boss Nathan played by Paul Giamatti.
Nathan serves as a father figure for Sam as he raised and taught her when she was abandoned by her mother as a child. A fact that the movie and Giamatti portrays really well. Before given no choice by the other members of his organization, he does everything within his power to save Sam from the consequences of her choice to abandon the mission.
She is helped by her three aunts and the proprietors of the Library of Weaonpry. These ladies are portrayed by Angella Bassett, Michele Yeoh and Carla Gugiano.
These three women are a formidable force in Sam's quest to save the orphaned girl.
They provide Sam with moral support, weaonpry and a place to lay low while she tries to survive the onslaught of assassins sent to kill her. These ladies run a business that make this old veteran and firearms enthusist get a tingle in his nether regions. Almost every book contains a weapon or other resources to survive whatever life may throw at you.
They are joined by Sam's estranged mother another assassin that left her as a child to keep her work from following her home and hurting her daughter. Her mother is portrayed by
Game of Thrones star Lena Headey. This not the same as Headey's portrayal of the Mad Queen, but she brings an equal level of formability to the role.
Unlike the last movie I intentionally chose to watch this movie. As stated prior I was a fan of almost every actor or actress in this movie and looked forward to see what they could accomplish together. I was not disappointed the acting in this movie was top notch. I believed all the motivations and emotions portrayed by everyone. Normally one would stand out as the weakest link of the film, but here I had no thoughts in this regard.
Some performances did stand out from the others. The trio of Gun toting badasses were the star of the film to me. While the movie quite clearly followed Gillian's character as the protagonist. These three ladies had a chemistry that brought their characters to life.
They banter back and forth as the discuss their chosen profession was not only entertaining and funny it portrayed a group of women who truly view themselves as family. They all had their own distinct style and personality, but worked together like a well oiled machine. Nothing done without a vote.
The cinematography was what you would expect from a Tripple A film. All the scene transitions were well placed and seamless. It's hard to rate a film in this area because most are always perfect. The individuals that work behind the scenes in these films a have their jobs down to a science.
There was no voice acting in this film unlike the previous two films so this section is not really required. Though I will say the actors and actress's films executed their dialogue in a believable manner. Again, not surprising for a film of this quality.
Without getting into spoilers, I would give this film a 8 out of 10. I would have liked to see at least a small montage of Sam learning to be an assassin to defeat the Mary Sue trope. That didn't happen here and as a result, I had to deduct points.
Despite that I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys film or is looking for a good movie to Netflix and chill. It was entertaining and enjoyable throughout. As always the A list cast does not disappoint.
Gunpowder MIlkshake IMDb. July 14, 2021. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8368408/
Gunpowder MIlkshake. Directed by Navot Papushado, performances by Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, and Angela Bassett. , 2021.
