Katie Bienvenue
All the way back in the pre-COVID times of 2019 (I know, it feels like a lifetime ago) production started on Navot Papushado’s little action film called Gunpowder Milkshake. Not a lot was known at the time except that it was starring Lena Headey and Karen Gillan as a mother/daughter team of assassins. They would have to seek help from Headey’s past crew which consisted of Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, and Michelle Yeoh after a job goes wrong. When finding out about the synopsis and cast, I struggled to see if Papushado had somehow discovered my diary entry asking for all my fandom worlds to collide into one epic film because together this list of names feels so random.
My excitement was only made more by the little behind-the-scenes videos Gillan and Headey filmed, sometimes incorporating Gugino, Bassett, and Yeoh. Then the pandemic hit and the world came to a halt putting this project on the shelf and sending myself and others into continuing to push for signs that the possibility of release would someday come. After a tease midway through 2020, our prayers were answered with a release date and more importantly, a trailer!
I must have had this trailer on repeat for most of the day it dropped because I just couldn’t get over the excitement it was bringing me. Every frame looked and felt as if I were staring at a graphic novel. The film feels as though it will be on a Zack Snyder Sucker Punch (which I’m sorry but I love) level of action. Epic gunfight sequences and hand-to-hand combat. All the women in the film have been talking on their Instagrams about the intense training that went into creating this film so it was extremely exciting to see it come to life in the short little shots we get with this trailer. Also, can we all stop and take in the fact that Gunpowder Milkshake is offering us an action film that is chock-full of women above 40, who have previously done action films in their bodies of work, and have basically been placed all in the same film returning to that spot in their careers? Really this feels like the female Expendables film that was rumored and never actually fulfilled.
Besides the action, it feels as though Gunpowder Milkshake will also be having some heart and comedy with it. Karen Gillan is already known to be able to kick some butt for being Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (but she’ll always be Amy Pond to me) yet it seems people forgot that she also is a comedian. We get to see her stretch those comedic muscles in some quirky scenes within the trailer, and it’s not just her. Carla Gugino, who is also known mostly for her serious work, looks to be the funny one in her group of assassins named “the Librarians” (who are also resembling Powerpuff Girls).
It seems every so often someone attempts to write a female-driven action film and builds it up about taking down the patriarchy. Gunpowder Milkshake also seems to be dealing with this concept with Paul Giamatti in charge of “the Firm”, the ones who send Gillan on her mission that jumpstarts the film’s events. Yet, I feel as though Gunpowder Milkshake will also attempt to tackle some more themes that make the film more grounded and give it some heart. The rebuilding of a scared mother/daughter relationship, the morals that come with being trained since a child to be a killer.
I truly feel as though this film is going to be a glorious addition to the small amount of female-driven group action films. Will it be able to do what the 2019 Charlie’s Angels failed to do and win us over to the idea that women can be in that boy’s club of action films too? We’ll have to wait and see!
Gunpowder Milkshake explodes onto Netflix on July 14th.
What did you think of the Gunpowder Milkshake trailer? Are you ready to see these fantastic women kick some butt this summer? Let us know your favorite female action stars in the comments! And if you’re looking for Horror Trailers, we got you covered!
It will be great fun to see the women in charge and I agree with your trailer evaluatiom, but let me just add, as a fan of the magnificent, yet criminally underrated Ivan Kaye (best known for his King Aelle, the intimidating, but vulnerable epic Saxon nemesis of Vikings’ Ragnar Lothbrok): I think he should get huge kudos as he went through a more than tough training too at age 58 (and totally loved it) and is likely the oldest (and most experienced) actor of the film who did fight and action scenes himself, adding great production value by the resulting actual, real-life injuries and bruises. His knee was hurt so badly that he had difficulty to walk when I met him during his last week filming and I expect him to be a secret super weapon of the film as his dark, giant (6’4″) presence will be intimidating enough, yet the trailer showed already that he will also be at the centre of some great comedic moments and that, in fact, is the perfect combination of some of his biggest strengths. While enjoying the ladies who all are looking great, watch out for him too!
I’m not familiar with his work, but I love being introduced to new people so I look forward to discovering him in this!