This Norman J. Warren Bond knock-off features one of the best lines of dialogue I've ever heard in a film: "what about my yogurt?". Trust me, you have to see Gunpowder to appreciate the brilliance of Rory McLean's screenplay, ninety minutes of the ripest wordplay imaginable. The film stars David Gillum and Martin Potter as secret agents Gunn and Powder (geddit??), assigned by shouty Sir Anthony Phelps (a tired looking Gordon Jackson) to investigate the flooding of commodities markets with a surfeit of gold, which threatens to destroy the world's economies. Meanwhile, a metallurgical laboratory has been destroyed by two milkmen (the previously unheralded Fontaine twins), who have also kidnapped a lady scientist (Susan Rutherford) and stuffed her into a milk tanker. Could the two events be related? From the hilariously bad Goldfinger-style theme tune to Sir Anthony's down-market super spy lair, Gunpowder is a marvelously entertaining cheese-fest that never ceases to entertain. It's also Warren's penultimate effort to date--he hasn't made a film since 1987's Bloody New Year. At the relatively young age of 65, is it too much to hope that the man's creative muse could yet be rekindled?
3 Reviews
If you're a fan of Norman J. Warren, don't bother
Leofwine_draca17 September 2023
Having seen and enjoyed all of Norman J. Warren's horror movies, I was intrigued to see this Bond spoof to see how it compared. Sadly, it doesn't. The budget is no bigger but this kind of expansive action story just doesn't work on a tiny budget, as any viewer of action cinema will tell you. Instead we get a ridiculously unfunny scenario with a couple of guys, Gun and Powder; the effete one is played by Martin Potter of SATAN'S SLAVE and CRAZE fame. Their adventures involve them being shouted at by an exasperated Gordon Jackson, fighting off random black henchmen, and shooting up the woods at the climax. The 'seduction' sequence in the milk shop is perhaps the cringiest thing I've ever seen on screen.
Poor imitation of James Bond movies
lor_17 March 2023
My review was written in July 1987 after watching the film on Vestron video cassette.
"Gunpowder" is a destitute man's answer to James Bond. Actually, this low-budget British entry for the home video trade plays like a cheap version of Lindsay Shonteff's Bond spoofs and is made palatable by the efforts of a game cast.
Alarmingly implausible plot has Gordon Jackson tearing his hair out as a U. K. government official faced with news that lots of gold is being sold, undermining Western currencies and economics. He calls for Gunpowder, the special agent tem of Gunn (David Giliam, with an American accent) and his partner Powder (Martin Potter, swishily entertaining as an effete sidekick).
A mad scientist Dr Vacho (David Miller, wearing a gold bow tie and el) is in France, scheming to take over by virtue of his invention of causing gold to stay in liquid form without heating. He hasBritish scientist Penny Keynes (Susan Rutherford) kidnapped to help him, but the heroes rescue her and save the day. A subplot involving a pretty double agent improbably named Coffee Carradine (Debra Burton) is typically tongue-in-cheek.
Apart from a helicopter/speed boat chase, film is hurt by its inadequate budget, much of which appears to be in the form of donations or extensive product plugola such as shameless hawking of a dairy (that serves as a front fot the baddies' gold-smuggling operations). Rachel Lawrence portrays the Miss Moneypenny-styled character of this series, with the switch that she joins in he action in the final reel, commando-style.
"Gunpowder" is a destitute man's answer to James Bond. Actually, this low-budget British entry for the home video trade plays like a cheap version of Lindsay Shonteff's Bond spoofs and is made palatable by the efforts of a game cast.
Alarmingly implausible plot has Gordon Jackson tearing his hair out as a U. K. government official faced with news that lots of gold is being sold, undermining Western currencies and economics. He calls for Gunpowder, the special agent tem of Gunn (David Giliam, with an American accent) and his partner Powder (Martin Potter, swishily entertaining as an effete sidekick).
A mad scientist Dr Vacho (David Miller, wearing a gold bow tie and el) is in France, scheming to take over by virtue of his invention of causing gold to stay in liquid form without heating. He hasBritish scientist Penny Keynes (Susan Rutherford) kidnapped to help him, but the heroes rescue her and save the day. A subplot involving a pretty double agent improbably named Coffee Carradine (Debra Burton) is typically tongue-in-cheek.
Apart from a helicopter/speed boat chase, film is hurt by its inadequate budget, much of which appears to be in the form of donations or extensive product plugola such as shameless hawking of a dairy (that serves as a front fot the baddies' gold-smuggling operations). Rachel Lawrence portrays the Miss Moneypenny-styled character of this series, with the switch that she joins in he action in the final reel, commando-style.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
