Atomic Blonde: A Review

I'm gonna say it right off the bat, you'll all probably hate me for it, but I'm gonna say it anyway; I don't much care for James McAvoy. There. I said it. It's out on the internet now, and there's nothing I can do to change things. But luckily, James McAvoy isn't the central focus of this film, the central focus here, and rightly so, is the magnificent Charlize Theron. She's playing a kick-ass MI6 Agent sent to Berlin around the time of the fall of the Berlin wall to investigate a rogue agent and locate a secret dossier that puts the lives of all MI6 agents at risk.

The film is told in the fashion of a recounting of a version of events. Theron's character, Lorraine Broughton, sat in an interview room faced by two interrogators. MI6 executive, Eric Gray (Toby Jones), and CIA agent, Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman) are seeking to get some answers from Broughton about the Berlin mission, and precisely what happened to the dossier.

The action is probably what leads to this film being looked upon so favourably, as from start to finish it quite literally pulls no punches. Each punch, kick, gunshot, knife-wound, and any other headsmashing move you can think of all has that crunch to it that makes it all seem so very real. Theron is what makes this ass-kicking action work so well, she throws herself into the physicality and was known for doing a lot of the hard-hitting work herself, although she would utilise the work of a stunt double for the riskier moments. There's a scene at around the half-way point which is depicted as a single take, but is actually 40 separate takes cleverly knitted together. That being said though, this scene is incredible. Taking Theron's character through a building with multiple levels, fighting enemies along the way, it truly is pulse-racing and one of the best scenes I've seen in any film in a long time. The film itself is worth it for this scene alone.

The hart-hitting, pulse-racing action that makes the film so enjoyable sadly can't save the film from being dragged down by its wonky plot devoid of any real substance or genuine character development. I didn't really understand the purposes or motivations of any of the characters other than being put in this particular set-piece which would deliver some amazing action sequences. They add the reason on top, which was a missing document that could lead to many lives being lost, and then not much else. There was nothing that could get me invested in the plot, which was a shame as I really wanted to like this film for a lot more than just the action.

This isn't so much a spy flick, as a film that exists for the sake of some cool 80s feel nostalgia and badass action. It's unique in its look and its feel, and that's why it's still one hell of an enjoyable ride. The 10 minute "single-shot" is a treat to behold, and the movie is certainly a fun way to waste 2 hours of your time, but don't expect to come out of it feeling like you've just watched a movie with a well-developed plot or characters anymore three dimensional than Top Cat.

Even with its flaws, there isn't a film like it out today, and for that reason it still deserves some solid praise. The characters are mostly forgettable, and the plot virtually non-existent, but even with that, there's still a lot of entertainment to be taken from this film, and one you can enjoy for the whole runtime.

Score: 6/10