Review of Atomic Blonde (2017) by Matthew D — 26 Mar 2018

Highly stylized '80's spy thriller Atomic Blonde is a blast!

Atomic Blonde is the most action packed spy thriller since the Bourne Trilogy with brutal, near non-stop action. Well Atomic Blonde does not measure up to the Bourne Trilogy in terms of story telling, heart, or ingenuity, it is nearly as thrilling in terms of fight choreography and chase sequencing. I found Atomic Blonde to have many charms, thrills, and even some spy intrigue as far as the mystery of a double agent tale goes. It does not level up to the complex spy story telling and mystique of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but it makes up for the simplistic story with lots of fun fights and a gorgeous cinematic look that reminded me of Drive in appearance. With a streamlined story and mesmerizing action, Atomic Blonde trounces through the fray into your heart as a truly immersive experience. You really feel like you're following Charlize Theron's spy from her perspective throughout the whole duration of Atomic Blonde.

Atomic Blonde successfully captures the feel of 1989 with the blaring neon look, old clothes, attention to detail in the background for both set design and extras in costume. It may not compare to actual films from the '80's, but Atomic Blonde certainly likes to remind you of the era you are watching with television broadcasts of the Berlin Wall updates, sampling controversy, punks roaming the street, nightclubs in Berlin, graffiti lining the street walls, big antique phones, old wire taps, and the most wonderfully eclectic choice of musical selections that were highly popular during the late 80s. They really tried their best in attempting to feel authentic to the time. I found the look charming, but perhaps too modern in its sleek appearance to be wholly convincing of the intended era. Regardless, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and is very well shot throughout Atomic Blonde.

The real charm of Atomic Blonde is surprisingly not the spy story riddled with esoteric clues, not the neon color scheme and Eighties nostalgia, not even the highly entertaining action scenes, but the wide array of engaging and subtle acting performances from the cast. Everyone from Charlize Theron and James McAvoy to Sophia Boutella and Eddie Marsan pulls off their varying degrees of secrecy and mystique. From eye and facial movements to their accents and body language, I found the entire supporting cast to be well cast and well performed. It's a true treat of excellent character moments. Toby Jones and John Goodman were quite well cast as well as the heads of MI6 and CIA respectively. The main star Charlize Theron is the main attraction as the sizzling and sultry spy extraordinaire. Theron plays it cool, but not so chill that it comes off as disengaged. She plays the undercover spy quite convincingly. She kills people with a gritty realism and brutality that will surely please audiences everywhere. The pure euphoria of constant killing rings through the air at all times in Atomic Blonde.

Overall, Atomic Blonde is a quick watch and an easy recommendation for it's engaging performances, easy to follow plot, beautiful cinematography, witty dialogue, and wildly entertaining violence. Combat suits Charlize to perfection in sexy murder spree that is Atomic Blonde.