WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Gunpowder Milkshake, now available on Netflix.
The Sommelier from the John Wick franchise was the steward of a varied cache of armaments designed to deliver a personal death dealing experience for his clientele. Kingsman's armory was outfitted with tailored accessories, in addition to hand cannons and freshly stoned throwing knives. But the Library, introduced in Navot Papushado's Gunpowder Milkshake, offers just a little bit more bang for your butcher's buck, if you are deemed worthy.
The Library itself is a massive building teeming with weaponry hidden within the pages of hollowed out books. There's also an assortment of arms on multiple levels of the structure, some embedded into the design of various enclosures. When Sam (Karen Gillan), the film's anti-hero, seeks sanctuary in the Library, she rummages through books at random, often finding useful objects hidden in hardbacks. The dense concentration of firepower and supplemental kill-craft items seem to dwarf their analogs by a massive amount.
There are definitely ample design flaws in the way the Library does business. The entrance isn't secured in any real way and it seems far too easy to appropriate something valuable without going through the proper channels. There is a credible expectation, however, that the fines for taking a "book" without authorization carry some very steep penalties.
That being said, the Library's layout has its advantages. It's clear from dialogue that the items are not haphazardly placed, but mapped for efficiency. When attacked, as shown later in Gunpowder Milkshake, it provides a tactical benefit to those that know where to find exactly what they are looking for, as opposed to typical glass display cases that are viewable to anyone.
In terms of style, the Library certainly doesn't tip the meter when it comes to the Continental's tasting menu or enter into the Oxfords vs brogues conversation. But when it comes to the vastness of their collection, the inclusion of cash on hand, the offensively defensive Feng Shui and the added benefit of the Librarians, their resources tip the scales dramatically.
Gunpowder Milkshake's Librarians appear to be an independent operation that services the underworld community with no inherent protections. Therefore, they may be more self-sufficient than other concierge arms dealers in alternate cinematic universes.
Among the triad, Madeleine (Carla Gugino) seems to be the one with the most emotional intellect and compassion. This may also play a part in making her the most ferocious. Despite a terminal wound and the distraction of keeping her defenseless charge safe, she almost duels the top henchman to a stalemate. Conversely, Anna May (Angela Bassett) is prone to kill first and ask questions later, displaying a fever for retribution that the others lack. While open to discussion and other viewpoints, she is resolute in her conviction to see her enemies lying bloody at her feet. With Madeleine at one extreme and Anna May at the other, Florence (Michelle Yeoh) is quite comfortable as the adjudicator. She exudes level, rational lethality.
After a self imposed exile, Sam's mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) returns to the fray and her cohort. Scarlet is motivated by the singular purpose of protecting her daughter at all costs. Whether that comes in the form of abandoning Sam in an attempt to protect her, or overrunning a firearm dead zone with firearms to take out her daughter's enemies, she is a veteran of the nomadic hired gun life who is fearless and resilient.
Gunpowder Milkshake made its debut on July 14 on Netflix and will play in theaters internationally this summer. A sequel is currently in the works.
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