Gunpowder Milkshake is one of those films that will please some but fall flat for fans of more groundbreaking action films. However, being in the former group, Gunpowder Milkshake has enjoyable elements to it with retro-neon cinematography that caught my eye through and through.
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Between the script and the directing, the film has a strong comic book feel to it. The dialogue heavily mirrors the way comic book characters would talk and interact with one another, having lines like, “there’s a group of men called The Firm. They’ve been running things for a long, long time. And when they need someone to clean up their mess, they send me.†The comic book-esque script may irritate fans of more “unique†action films, but I thoroughly enjoyed feeling as if a comic book was jumping off the screen.
As a lover of diners and libraries, it is not a question why the cinematography of Gunpowder Milkshake mesmerized me. Although the film uses neon colors, it is done with a darker backdrop, making the audience feel as if they are entering a small and dark motel at two in the morning with nothing but a retro-colored sign being the only light to break up the darkness.
Between bowling alleys, the town’s diner, and the “library,†the backdrop of the film set its sights on breaking free of the neutral-colored action film set up to provide some more style to its more conventional plot elements and characters.
Samantha’s (Karen Gillan) emotionless delivery of her lines matches up to the assassin life she lives and the comic book vibe of the film, even when her character shows love and care for others around her (as any human can’t help but do). Her relationship with one of her victim’s daughters (Chloe Coleman) was fun, as most action films use a larger tough man to create a more comical relationship with a young child. Having been abandoned early in life by her mother, Samantha’s unfamiliarity with caring for a child, especially in her line of work, opens up her character as she becomes more human by the end.
The film felt less forced in its “feminist†aspects, not trying to shove it in our faces constantly that women were ruling the screen. It felt more naturally written and directed where it wasn’t surprising that there were skilled female assassins, just as comic books have proven for decades. Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino’s roles in the film felt very “Powerpuff girl†like, which I loved.
Also Read: Black Widow Review: Entertains in Dribs and Drabs!
If you’re library-loving, retro cinematography, comic book fan, you’ll love the vibe of the film. If you’re looking for a genre-bending standout action film, you may want to look somewhere else. The film is accurately depicted by its title, which will probably tell you right away if this film is for you. Watch ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ on Netflix here.
Review by Stephanie Young
Follow Steph on Instagram – @cinemasteph_7
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