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It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a Cold War Era spy flick, especially since the latest James Bond films have taken a more modern approach. Atomic Blonde is a great return to the classic genre and a breath of fresh air.
Basic Plot
In 1989, the Cold War is reaching its conclusion and the Berlin Wall is about to collapse. Before all of these events can transpire, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) must go undercover in Berlin to recover intel for MI6 before it’s too late. While in Berlin, Lorraine must work with her contact, David Percival (James McAvoy), to track down who or what is holding this intel and uncover any other secrets that they encounter.
Action
The hand-to-hand combat in Atomic Blonde is very much like what we’ve seen in John Wick. Charlize Theron did her own fighting training and filmed her combat sequences with no doubles, and it really pays off. The fighting is gritty and fast-paced, while also retaining a certain amount of realism. The cinematography of the fight scenes works very cohesively with Theron’s abilities. The movie doesn’t resort to shakey-cam or quick jump cuts between punches, which is a huge relief.
Writing
What’s great about Atomic Blonde is that it uses classic tropes from older spy films while also blending in new elements. The complexity of the story and its huge twists give the movie the theme of espionage that makes it a lot of fun. Although the story gets more and more intriguing throughout the course of the movie, it isn’t perfect. The timeline’s skipping from past to present reduces a lot of the stakes in the plot, and a lot of characters in the movie have confusing or no motivations for their actions.
Verdict
Atomic Blonde has phenomenal action and well choreographed fight scenes. Despite the blurred elements, the story is pretty intense and has some great twists.
8/10
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