Atomic Blonde

Anyone expecting a female version of John Wick will be disappointed. Charlize Theron is not a macho good guy seeking revenge for the death of his dog and his burned-down house, she's a cunning and unpredictable bitch, defined by looks and arrogant one-liners rather than emotions. This corresponds to the different concept of the film that David Leitch created. The essence of the story is a modern spy game of cat and mouse, where no one knows who, where, how and with whom until the last moment. But the unnecessarily convoluted screenplay interferes a bit with the otherwise sensational impression of tangible action, which, I dare to say, is hardly rivaled in its class by its intensity and execution. Unlike Wick and his über fucking cool combo of moves and stylish shooting, the action here less rhythmic and more raw and dirty. The fight on the stairs, already teased in the trailer, will surely go down in memory and film history as one of the best ever. All in all, it lasts about ten minutes and there are damn few cuts, all backed up by phenomenal handheld camerawork that doesn't let the main characters breathe a sigh of relief (it's incredible what Charlize Theron physically does as she continues her badass ride after Fury Road). Everything else about the film, from the sexy neon, the 80s music, the stylish sets, the ditzy production design, to the atmospheric Berlin – a filmmaker's paradise of cold backdrops – goes by the wayside and plays second fiddle with a bit of hyperbole. Because that ten minute sequence is itself a film within a film, elevating the action craft in that class to a whole new level, something that was last done a decade ago and a notch below by Paul Greengrass with his jittery and frantic The Bourne Identity. (30/07/2017)

In the first half it is excessively stylized with randomly used "Best of 80´s soundtrack", while the second half is often without any music and is raw to the bone in a style of Greengrass´ Bourne (and this approach suits the movie much better). On top of that, the screenwriter pretends that it is a serious espionage genre movie almost like Carry with somehow tangled double identities. However, he is not very good at it and it is clear from the very beginning what´s going on and who is the mysterious one who is playing everyone. A rather trivial story is told in an unnecessarily complicated manner. But at least it's not a stupid story. What it relies on is, as expected, mainly all an excellent choreography that results in brilliant physical and stunned action (fortunately it´s not non-stop, but reasonably dosed) with the impressively cool Charlize. You can't deny the movie has its own face, it's definitely not just the proclaimed "Jane Wick". Only that face should have had too much makeup throughout the footage as at the beginning or should have been completely without it as at the end. (10/08/2017)

Even when you have one of the best action sequences (and I'm toying with the idea that it might be the very best) ever filmed, you have to have something else to go with it, and Atomic Blonde fits that bill sufficiently. At least for those who are still unapologetically fulfilled by the aesthetic of a broken body in an expensive dress, with a glass of vodka and a cigarette in the corner of her mouth. (28/10/2017)

Willpower alone holds it together, but thanks to Charlize it works. That woman has character, whether verbally destroying McAvoy or licking Sophie “The Mummy" Boutella. Well-planned action, even if a little less ferocious than in Wick and it seems the best uncut scene of the year. The comic-book style also suits the genre of espionage. A shame that the director didn’t stick it together better. I look forward to visiting Berlin. (04/08/2017)

Action goddess Charlize Theron in a spy action thriller. If I were to compare this film to John Wick, Wick is obviously closer to my heart, Atomic Blonde slightly lacks drive and the plot isn't entertaining and gripping enough to glue the viewer to their seat, yet there are scenes that will make me remember it. Definitely worth mentioning are the fights, of which there are quite a few and all of them are properly gritty and perfectly shot (the highlight being a 10 minute action scene in a building culminating in a car chase that had the whole cinema holding their breath). Also nice, especially for men, is Sofia Boutella, who has a passionate fling with Charlize Theron, seeing two beautiful actresses in bed will please any film fan. All in all, an enjoyable action ride that slightly lacks pace and disappoints with a weaker script, but the action makes it definitely worth seeing. 75% (13/08/2017)