If Bond had a spiked martini with ecstasy in an 80s European nightclub, the result would be Atomic Blonde.
After years of having to catch up to Indonesia (The Raid/Raid 2—still the best action movies this entire decade), England (Kingsman) and Australia (Mad Max: Fury Road) on the action cinema landscape, it's nice to see Hollywood getting slightly closer to the mountaintop of quality action filmmaking. Between the surprise-surprise John Wick flicks and now the stylishly sinister Atomic Blonde, America now has a team learning from the mistakes of the blockbusters and the disappointments. Being an action movie fan, it's good to be in this era.
Charlize Theron has become an underrated action goddess over the years with an intriguing display of action flicks ranging from the forgotten (Aeon Flux) to the underrated (Italian Job) to the spectacular (Once again, Mad Max). Although being considered a female Bond is a bit of a stretch, Atomic Blonde seizes the opportunity to take advantage of Theron's skillset of physical toughness combined with the ability to display emotion whether there is tons of dialogue or no dialogue at all. Similar to how it's impossible to separate Bruce Willis' performance from Die Hard, it's impossible to deny Theron any sort of credit to the film's overall enjoyment.
Based off a graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is an espionage flick with an abundance of twists and turns, which under the right writing/directing combo could have made for intriguing look at the spy life during a lesser-explored timeline in global history. But the John Wick crew isn't fully interested in the story, and treats it mainly like a backdrop while delivering a fistful of action sequences that ranges from short and exciting, to the downright intense and breathtaking—including an insane tracking shot that delivers the best hallway fight since the epic hallway showdowns from The Raid. This is where the movie falters and shines, the see saw here is completely uneven, so if you are here for good storytelling move on. Otherwise, stay put, and watch some of the best action all year.
Atomic Blonde also carries a cool 80s aesthetic that you never see in a Bond film, another reason why the comparison is inaccurate, even if it was meant to be a compliment. Between the Cold War setting, the killer Vice City-like soundtrack, the surprisingly-good costume design, and the muted tone, Atomic Blonde looks and feels like an expensive hipster film made in the basement of a Euro-techno nightclub. Theron might run the show, but the background work is stellar, and gives the film a different tone you generally don't see outside spoofs of 80s culture. And everyone is in on the Raegan-era glee, including James Mcavoy who gives yet another understated performance, this time as Lorraine's partner/mysterious renegade, in his remarkably hype-free career.
Carrying the typical clichés of your normal actionaire, Atomic Blonde is a bit lacking in character development and storyline. So usually, you need to recover with ridiculous action, and enough popcorn entertainment to disguise the screenplay shortcomings. Thanks to the amazing Charlize Theron, David Leitch, and the John Wick stunt team, you won't leave this movie disappointed even if you might be confused at the twists and revelations.
After years of having to catch up to Indonesia (The Raid/Raid 2—still the best action movies this entire decade), England (Kingsman) and Australia (Mad Max: Fury Road) on the action cinema landscape, it's nice to see Hollywood getting slightly closer to the mountaintop of quality action filmmaking. Between the surprise-surprise John Wick flicks and now the stylishly sinister Atomic Blonde, America now has a team learning from the mistakes of the blockbusters and the disappointments. Being an action movie fan, it's good to be in this era.
Charlize Theron has become an underrated action goddess over the years with an intriguing display of action flicks ranging from the forgotten (Aeon Flux) to the underrated (Italian Job) to the spectacular (Once again, Mad Max). Although being considered a female Bond is a bit of a stretch, Atomic Blonde seizes the opportunity to take advantage of Theron's skillset of physical toughness combined with the ability to display emotion whether there is tons of dialogue or no dialogue at all. Similar to how it's impossible to separate Bruce Willis' performance from Die Hard, it's impossible to deny Theron any sort of credit to the film's overall enjoyment.
Based off a graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is an espionage flick with an abundance of twists and turns, which under the right writing/directing combo could have made for intriguing look at the spy life during a lesser-explored timeline in global history. But the John Wick crew isn't fully interested in the story, and treats it mainly like a backdrop while delivering a fistful of action sequences that ranges from short and exciting, to the downright intense and breathtaking—including an insane tracking shot that delivers the best hallway fight since the epic hallway showdowns from The Raid. This is where the movie falters and shines, the see saw here is completely uneven, so if you are here for good storytelling move on. Otherwise, stay put, and watch some of the best action all year.
Atomic Blonde also carries a cool 80s aesthetic that you never see in a Bond film, another reason why the comparison is inaccurate, even if it was meant to be a compliment. Between the Cold War setting, the killer Vice City-like soundtrack, the surprisingly-good costume design, and the muted tone, Atomic Blonde looks and feels like an expensive hipster film made in the basement of a Euro-techno nightclub. Theron might run the show, but the background work is stellar, and gives the film a different tone you generally don't see outside spoofs of 80s culture. And everyone is in on the Raegan-era glee, including James Mcavoy who gives yet another understated performance, this time as Lorraine's partner/mysterious renegade, in his remarkably hype-free career.
Carrying the typical clichés of your normal actionaire, Atomic Blonde is a bit lacking in character development and storyline. So usually, you need to recover with ridiculous action, and enough popcorn entertainment to disguise the screenplay shortcomings. Thanks to the amazing Charlize Theron, David Leitch, and the John Wick stunt team, you won't leave this movie disappointed even if you might be confused at the twists and revelations.