'Gunpowder Milkshake' film review: Fun, girl-powered 'John Wick' is a sugary action dessert

Karen Gillan leads a female-centric in the stylized and bullet-riddled action thriller 'Gunpowder Milkshake' (streaming on Netflix starting July 14).

In short: Assassin Sam (Gillan) is sent on a straightforward job that takes an unexpected turn when she discovers a young girl in danger - a choice that makes her target. Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti also star.

'Milkshake' drops the audience right into a colorful and lived-in world of assassins. There are hints of a 'John Wick'-inspired depth of history, a whole secret underworld populated with killers, gun-dealing librarians and even a quaint, sacrosanct diner where all manner of criminals respect its no guns rule. The script hints some stormy history between Sam's mother (Headey) and the gun-dealing "librarians," and a complex paternal-boss relationship with her handler (Giamatti).

For a genre overly wrought with generic, perfectly choreography gun fu and close quarter combat, 'Milkshake' is a refreshing bit of ridiculous action fun. A ton of these movies include some variation of a hallway fight or a car chase, but writer-director Navot Papushado discovers some creative new angles on the tried-and-true action flick mainstay action set pieces. One sequence has Sam forced to fight with both her arms completely paralyzed and utterly useless - leaving her only with two flailing arms ... and two weapons taped to her limp-noodled arms. Although the final, all-out melee is a pretty conventional knock down battle, 'Milkshake' otherwise finds creative new angles to the "rogue assassin finds a conscience" sub-category.

While 'Milkshake' succeeds in rich world-building and creative action sequences, the film's decidedly tongue-in-cheek humor leaves some fat to trim from the runtime. An entire scene where three battered goons just giggle incessantly while high on laughing gas could be chopped entirely and flick would be all the better. Sometimes the film's commitment to wry, off-kilter humor interrupts an otherwise fun ride. A lot of editing nip tucks - the trimming of pointless slow-mo or odd comedic beats - would have either better streamlined 'Milkshake' or left more room for some exploration of this vivid and fun world.

Perhaps the film's biggest weakness is its lack of a compelling antagonist. Sam spends virtually the entire film on the run, just trying to stay alive while her former employers at "The Firm" and a rival crime organization race to see who can kill her first. But "The Firm" is basically a faceless threat and the revenge-fueled crime boss trying to take out Sam has just a few minutes of screen time. So most of the movie is just Sam killing, decapitating, stabbing and kicking a seemingly endless supply of disposable goons. Sure the heavies of 'Nobody' or 'John Wick' aren't exactly multi-faceted Shakespearian tragic villains - but at least they more personally affect the plot or protagonist than anything in 'Milkshake.'

Final verdict: 'Gunpowder Milkshake' is a fun beat 'em up romp that dips its toes into a vibrant world of guns, knives, bruises and blood. An entertaining introduction to a fleshed-out world worth exploring in a sequel.

Score: 3/5

'Gunpower Milkshake' streams on Netflix starting July 14. This action thriller is rated R for strong bloody violence throughout and language. The film has a runtime of 114 minutes.