ATOMIC BLONDE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Earlier this year, the sequel to the 2014 action-packed thriller, John Wick, was released and received critical acclaim. While I've seen the first film, I'm yet to see Chapter Two. David Leitch, who was an uncredited director on John Wick, debuts with his first feature and the results are impressive. Atomic Blonde is the female-driven version of John Wick we didn't know we needed. Of course, audiences might be a bit apprehensive because it was only a few months since John Wick: Chapter Two was released, however, there's no need to worry as, while the two films share similarites, Atomic Blonde can stand up well on its own without the comparision.

A high-stakes, global action-thriller that takes place in the city of Berlin, on the eve of the Wall's collapse and the shifting of superpower alliances. Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is a top-level spy for MI6 and is dispatched to Berlin to take down a ruthless espionage ring that has just killed an undercover agent for reasons unknown. She is ordered to cooperate with Berlin station chief David Percival (James McAvoy), and the two form an uneasy alliance, unleashing their full arsenal of skills in pursuing a threat that jeopardizes the West's entire intelligence operation.

The narrative is far from original as it concerns an agent tracking down a list of agents which has been used in the first Mission: Impossible film and Skyfall, the 2012 James Bond film. Fortunately, the two leading performances and the action and stunt sequences make up for the weak plot. Like in John Wick, Atomic Blonde features some visually stunning imagery that makes each scene stand out. However, the contrasts are shown clearly in the streets of Berlin, where the colours are mainly bleak and grey to represent the mood of the Cold War. 

As the leading protagonist, Theron gives a committed performance and makes Lorraine a fierce individual. She spent five years developing this film and is credited as one of the producers. To prepare for the role, she even trained with Keanu Reeves, who plays John Wick, as he was training at the same time for the sequel. All the hard work has paid off as Theron gives one of her best performances since her Oscar-winning role in the 2003 film, Monster, and in the action-packed remake, Mad Max: Fury Road, in 2015. While Lorraine is fierce and isn't afraid to hold back from a kick or a punch or a gun shot, she has her weaknesses. You beat her, she'll bruise. Despite this, she always manages to get back up, which makes her a respected individual. Atomic Blonde is worth watching just for Theron's performance. James McAvoy gives a great performance as David Percival, who we're rightfully suspicious of from the beginning. After filming wrapped for Split, McAvoy started filming on Atomic Blonde straight away. Despite injuring his hand on the set of Split, he still had to endure all his action scenes. Solid supporting roles come from Sofia Boutella (as a love interest for Lorraine), Toby Jones, John Goodman and Eddie Marsan.

Because this is directed by David, who is best known for his stunts in films such as The Bourne Ultimatum, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and two of the Matrix films, it should only seem fitting that the stunts featured in Atomic Blonde don't disappoint. Fortunately, Leitch has succeeded. The film is at its best during its fight sequences as they feature impressive stunts. He doesn't hold back on the violence which is why Atomic Blonde is rated 15 (R in the US). Each fight is choreographed perfectly and, by using a stable camera, Leitch fully captures the gory violence. Atomic Blonde is not for the faint hearted.

Atomic Blonde isn't the best action-packed thriller to ever be released, however, it's still worth a watch for Charlize Theron's fierce and strong performance as the main protagonist. It has a weak beginning, however, once the action kicks in, the thrills never stop until the end credits. Each scene could've done without the soundtrack blasting, however, it doesn't damage the scene and I can understand why Leitch opted to use songs rather than scores. If you're looking for a film that features a powerful individual that's full of action and thrills and impressive stunts and visually stunning imagery, look no further than Atomic Blonde.

7/10