Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

[Drunk Monk]

Is Paul Giamatti a deal breaker?

Women powered parody sanguineous ultravi. I like it.

Headley & Gillan are a mother/daughter pair of assassins, armed by auntie Bassett, Gugino & Yeoh. It’s stylish, with lots of neon, hip songs and lots gratuitous slo mo ultravi - plenty of gallows humor with tongue firmly planted in cheek, mostly just set up for those tasty fight scenes - the hospital scene had my chuckling that ol’ DOOM ultravi chuckle amidst the splatter of blood. It’s all about the action, which has many fresh clever moments and even a few decent one-ers. Very enjoyable for the fight scenes and it’s unapologetic attitude. 

This has a John Wick Continental vibe albeit more absurd. Don’t think about it. Just gorge on the slick ultravi.

For Giamatti haters, he plays the same character he always does but it fits well here.

No sword fights but there’s plenty of fire fights and Mano-a-Mano, plus bats, 2x4s, chains, brass knuckles, tomahawks, pistol bayonets, tonfa, scalpels, hammers, bowling balls, panda luggage and more.

This is so DOOM. DOOM Gillan fans (aka Yetis) will be especially entertained.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Carla Gugino is the Hot Librarian of My Dreams and none may gainsay this.

Also, I just found out that Karen Gillan is 5 feet, freaking ELEVEN inches tall.

I watched it last night; girl-power anf firefights, a shit-ton of style but with no substance. A good-looking but shallow film. Honestly, with that cast, I expected more. Better, snappier dialogue.

I enjoyed it, but was aware of the hollowness the whole time.

[Drunk Monk]

5’ 11” - woah! That reframed everything. I confess that I didn’t really tune into her until Jumanji. I thought she handled the action serviceably, as did all of the cast, although it was more about the fight director. Michelle has done better fights in ST:Disco. I was still entertained by the spectacle.

It was vacuous but I admire that it didn’t stoop to exploitive sexiness. I feel you on Gugino. She was the only character with any texture.

There’s a sequel in the works.

[Greg]

Yeah. My name is Greg. I'm a naysayer. Didn't it seem like the choreographers decided to have the stupidest approach to any fight and went with it? Let's not have the use of arms. Let's have the kid drive! Rather than just wait at the exit of the parking garage, we'll chase her around it. All the fights just came across as really dumb. And what was the point of the library? How does it tie in? In John Wick, you have the Continental (TV show coming soon) which makes sense as a safe haven. What was the point of the library except you have all these women who have a fetish for hiding things in books. Why have a fight with hammers when you are surrounded by guns?

And the worst, if someone just shot and killed your father would you want anything to do with that person? No.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Hmmmm...pretty sure "shallow" was an adjective used above, along with "style without substance". As for choreography, when is it ever logical? It is almost always the least direct route to the kill (except for the one cut/one parry samurai showdown at the end of many samurai movies).

I reject your criticism, Captain No-Fun.

[Drunk Monk]

What’s the point of the library?

WHAT’S THE POINT OF THE LIBRARY? 

Srsly?

I wanna go to that library. 
 
I’m down for the sequel. It was diverting enough for its running time. 

I’ll grant that I had issues with the 8 & 3/4 girl being so accepting of the situation too. It would’ve been better if her dad was more of a cad. 

The paralyzed fight reminded me of Kill Bill & Police Story 4. - the post coma scene & the sea urchin tank scene. Similar concept but this had enough of a variation to feel fresh. The N2O angle was funny.