Movie Review – Gunpowder Milkshake

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Written by Navot Papushado & Ehud Lavski
Directed by Navot Papushado

Seth and I don’t always agree on things, as shocking as that might seem. When I first saw Gunpowder Milkshake’s trailer, I could feel the intrigue bubbling within my system, almost dashed to bits and pieces as my husband went, “Ew, no.” (Ed. note: I have literally zero memory of ever seeing this trailer)

Let’s not fault the man; he did not grow up watching martial arts/action movies. Unlike my husband, raised in a Christain household, my single mom tended to let us rent movies at will. If those movies didn’t even up being the regular popular picks, they managed to be action movies many times.

I have a memory of watching a lot of Jackie Chan films as a child. With behind-the-scenes clips of them disguising a broken leg he had gotten from a stunt, him giving the camera and thumbs up as he jumped on a moving vehicle from a bridge or something of that sort.

It felt exclusively male at times with that sole “badass woman” who would appear, at times being a love interest or somehow related to the film’s protagonist.

With now directors and film studios seeing the success of Wonder Woman and other action-packed films with leading ladies, it’s no surprise that we’re getting more movies like this.

Gunpowder Milkshake has pleasing aesthetics with a good cast in it. My problem with it was they genuinely didn’t use Karen Gillan as well, and they should have. I’ve seen her in enough things to know she can be charming, quirky, and cute. In this, she is straight deadpan, barely breaking a smile on her face, and it feels off somehow.

This is not a film. You go into it with a brand new perspective on life. It didn’t insight on me the feeling that the first Wonder Woman did in where I would ponder about the idea of taking fighting lessons or decide I will build muscle mass to finally one day beat up a room full of men with the idea I am fighting the patriarchy all by my lonesome self while listening to rock music.

Is it fun? Yes. Will I watch it again? No.

It’s too long, with some dull edges. This doesn’t discount how good the fight scenes are or that the cast gave it their all. It’s just average.