Review of Atomic Blonde (2017) by John S — 17 Nov 2017

A very cool and stylish movie, though it's not quite as cool and stylish as it thinks it is. Charlize Theron really goes out of her way in this one to prove how badass and sexy she is, and she succeeds admirably, yet the scenes that allow her to fully showcase her skills feel few and far between.

I must stress, however, that the few fight scenes are amazing. They look very natural and authentic with loose choreography and hand-held cameras that continuously move but never miss any of the brutal and cringing, yet thrilling and satisfying, violence; it all blends together to concoct a raw, visceral, up-close-and-personal, almost intimate experience that makes you feel like you're right there in the action.

Unfortunately, as mentioned, the fight scenes are few in number. The film's setting is Berlin at the tail end of the Cold War, and most of the run-time is padded with typical special agent, undercover operative, secret mission jibber jabber jam-packed (even overstuffed) with manipulation, deception, back-stabbing, true identity reveals, twists and turns left and right for who has the upper hand, etc.

, and this is all decorated with neon lights and a soundtrack of 80s new wave synth pop hits. All these factors are not bad things; the problem is that the film presents a weak argument for why the audience should care.

I found my mind wandering to other things during the film and failed to be truly invested in what was going on. Saying the plot is bad would be excessive, and the film certainly has some highlights, but I could also understand if someone were to state that this film can be an example of the idea that style does not make up for a lack of substance.