Gunpowder Milkshake makes Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2 seem like a leisurely stroll on a Sunday afternoon.
In this case, full-on action is mixed with liberal doses of humour.
Sam (Karen Gillam) is a trained assassin, just like her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey). That is all she has ever known and she is particularly good at dishing out punishment.
Sam works for a shadowy organisation – a ruthless crime syndicate known as The Firm – as did her mother before her, until one day Scarlet up and left town after making a tactically dicey move.
That was 15 years ago and Sam – at the time only 12 years of age – hasn’t seen her since.
Sam’s “handler” is Nathan (Paul Giamatti), the same guy that “handled” his mother.
Her talents are used to clean up The Firm’s most dangerous messes.
Nathan is concerned Sam is taking things too far and thereby exposing herself.
Then everything changes when, “on assignment”, Sam is forced to choose between serving The Firm or protecting the life of an innocent eight-year-old girl, Emily (Chloe Coleman).
With a target on her back, Sam finds herself reuniting with her mother’s former associates, known as the Librarians (Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino and Michelle Yeoh).
Gunpowder Milkshake is the work of Israeli filmmaker Navot Papushado, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ehud Lavski and directs.
The women in this movie kick some serious butt … and then some.
It sure is violent, but best to treat it as cartoon violence.
I loved the tongue in cheek humour and the “girl power” theme, which works a treat.
Most of the men in this picture are Neanderthals.
The settings, including the diner and library, are fabulous. Production design on the film is marvellous. It has absolutely nailed the film noir look.
Amongst such a talented cadre of women, Karen Gillam leads from the front and does a fine job.
If you’re a Quentin Tarantino fan and/or you enjoyed the John Wick movies, you should find much to like about Gunpowder Milkshake.
It has high octane comic book sensibilities, which send a clear message that these women are not to be messed with because they fight back.
Rated MA, Gunpowder Milkshake scores a 7½ out of 10.