Review of Atomic Blonde (2017) by Jason R — 04 Dec 2017

One of the things about this movie that I found particularly interesting was the absence of a nuclear threat plotline. Spy movies over the years have taken after the more cartoonish Bond movies and made everything about the end of the world. David Leitch slows his roll in that regard, narrowing his focus and telling a better story as a result.

The search for "Satchel" and the recovery of a list of double agents is more than good enough to draw a solid plot, which is then packed with keen spy action, with some terrific fight scenes thrown in to even it out.

Charlize Theron, now a bonafide action star, shows her talents in the fight scenes, and doesn't rely on the typical female action star tropes; strong legs and agility. She's just simply better than the men around her, and she can take a licking with the best of them. She's not a goddess like Wonder Woman, but she's a perfectly good Cold War, female Bond, if one is apt for such comparisons.

Leitch successfully captures the time his story is set in, both visually and musically, bringing along some classic 80's hits to set the mood. The stylish way he approaches each scene, and the little things that he takes the time to do, like having the East Germans wanting Jordache jeans, make the film that much better.

It won't blow your mind, and though original in its approach, its subject matter won't break any new barriers, but there's enough fun, and a couple good twists that make it worth it. Theron and James McAvoy have a terrifically twisted relationship, and the treatment of a lesbian character is done much more evenly than in many other films.

No wonder Leitch got hired for Deadpool 2. 4/5.