“Atomic Blonde” Fails to Detonate

“Atomic Blonde” fails to detonate

Posted by TBN Editor On 08/02/2017

Hollywood, MD - David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde is a spy movie that takes place in Berlin during the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Charlize Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, a top-level agent for MI6, who is known for her wit and intense hand to hand combat skills. The film opens with the murder of one of MI6’s undercover agents, perceived to be Lorraine’s secret lover. Lorraine is assigned to investigate this death, and to retrieve a file known as “The List”—a record of every spy, including information about a double agent. Joined by Berlin station chief David Percival (James McAvoy), Lorraine unleashes an arsenal of her lethal talents in order to survive.

Atomic Blonde has all of the necessary ingredients to make a super sleek spy movie, but unfortunately there wasn’t a mixing bowl large enough for them. The acting is phenomenal; Charlize Theron never disappoints, and has shown that she is no stranger to playing a tough, independent woman (Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road). Theron’s action sequences are mesmerizing and scarily realistic. It’s evident that both Theron and McAvoy immersed themselves into these roles. The stylistic elements are also superb; the color scheme is perfect for the tone of the film, featuring more gray and subdued shades with bright pops of red. Atomic Blonde capitalizes on its 80s aesthetic, with fantastic wardrobes and a stellar soundtrack including songs from Queen, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Blondie and The Clash. Almost every action scene is cringe-inducing with how great the effects are, and how morbidly creative Theron’s character is with her weapon of choice. From heels, keys, ladders, rope, to the other guy’s knife, Lorraine proves that she can kill you with anything she gets her hands on. Regardless of how polished this film is from an artistic perspective, the narrative makes it fall flat. The big surprise “twist” of the plot is revealed quite early (and in fact, easy to assume prior to its showcase), so the viewer is left with about half of the movie left and a story that seems to be over. While the runtime is 115 minutes, it seems to go on much longer than that. The action scenes, characters, and cool 80s vibe might make this movie forgivable for a subpar storyline, but it is disappointing to say the least. A strong female lead is always a plus, and Charlize Theron supplied an immensely dangerous and intimidating spy, but the film falls short of its potential. With a more dynamic and engaging story, Atomic Blonde could have easily been one of the best movies of the summer.

Image from IMDB.com

Page 1