Atomic Blonde pits an elusive and brutal MI-6 agent, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) against hit men, secret agents, dual agents, thug after thug and (very briefly) James McAvoy. Directed by John Wick's David Leitch, Atomic Blonde is just what you would expect out of a close-to-August release. It is bland storytelling mixed with truly impressive action sequences. When the chips are down, it makes for a VERY frustrating film.
While the film is supposed to be somewhat of a period piece with taking place during the Cold War, it adopts the flaws of a handful of 80s and 90s action films in the worst ways possible. It is dull and tries to make sense of itself. Instead of embracing what could be a fun corny romp, Atomic Blonde tries being as realistic as possible despite never really challenging the characters. We never feel like they're in real danger. We never feel like there is anything at stake outside of a mysterious dossier and it translates to a pretty flat film. Leitch abandons what made John Wick so fun and it quickly turns to a drab and dull experience just after the opening sequence. With that being said, despite the film being more of the same, it still features some incredibly impressive choreography in its fight sequences. Leitch is known for impressive stunt work and it doesn't change here. You just get to thinking: had Leitch dedicated the same high standard to the story that he did for the stunts, we'd probably have a better film.
The film, however, is not all bad. The cast is exceptional. Charlize Theron and James McAvoy are incredible together. Theron's determination to deliver a strong female character is abundantly clear and it pays off. Lorraine is such a great character for Theron and allows her to continue to deliver strong women on screen. Despite the story being weak in its knees, the characters are strong and the performances are even stronger especially Theron. Overall, Atomic Blonde is a let down when considering the talent behind the camera. While Leitch hits nowhere near the mark that John Wick hit, he still hits in certain spots by delivering awesome action and a strong character.
While the film is supposed to be somewhat of a period piece with taking place during the Cold War, it adopts the flaws of a handful of 80s and 90s action films in the worst ways possible. It is dull and tries to make sense of itself. Instead of embracing what could be a fun corny romp, Atomic Blonde tries being as realistic as possible despite never really challenging the characters. We never feel like they're in real danger. We never feel like there is anything at stake outside of a mysterious dossier and it translates to a pretty flat film. Leitch abandons what made John Wick so fun and it quickly turns to a drab and dull experience just after the opening sequence. With that being said, despite the film being more of the same, it still features some incredibly impressive choreography in its fight sequences. Leitch is known for impressive stunt work and it doesn't change here. You just get to thinking: had Leitch dedicated the same high standard to the story that he did for the stunts, we'd probably have a better film.
The film, however, is not all bad. The cast is exceptional. Charlize Theron and James McAvoy are incredible together. Theron's determination to deliver a strong female character is abundantly clear and it pays off. Lorraine is such a great character for Theron and allows her to continue to deliver strong women on screen. Despite the story being weak in its knees, the characters are strong and the performances are even stronger especially Theron. Overall, Atomic Blonde is a let down when considering the talent behind the camera. While Leitch hits nowhere near the mark that John Wick hit, he still hits in certain spots by delivering awesome action and a strong character.