CIA, KGB, MI-6, The Cold War, cool cars, and lots of guns. These are all things that most spy films are sure to have. Atomic Blonde is no different. Where it does deviate is in its lead character. It changes things up a little by putting a female at the helm. Who better to do that than Charlize Theron. Boy… was she a good choice. Is she a bit one note? Sure but for me it’s more about the thrill and action and with that she delivers. 

     I’d been following this film for a while ever since its debut at SXSW and the positive reactions got me excited. However, in the last few days I started to read some negative things from reviewers I trust. It definitely tampered my expectations for the film.

     Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It starts off with a lot of energy and for the most part maintains it throughout its run time. The story takes place in the 80’s during the Cold War and the film takes full advantage of it. You get lots of neon lighting, cool visuals, and awesome 80’s pop music. Some people may say its pandering a little bit by trying to be kind of retro but it worked for me. Like I said, it adds a lot of fun to the story.

     All spy films need great action and I’m happy to report that Atomic Blonde succeeds on that front. It’s fresh, well spaced out, and amazingly entertaining to watch. Not to mention, the scenes are very visceral and feel pretty realistic. The action is also well timed. Most scenes go by at a quick pace and they leave you wanting more. That being said, there is one major last action sequence that I felt dragged out a little too much. I really enjoyed it at first but then it seemed to never end. 

     I think Atomic Blonde also takes advantage of the Cold War setting in which it’s set. A lot of times with spy movies the story just happens to take place during that period. With this, it becomes an integral part of the film.

     Being a spy film, Atomic Blonde leaves itself wide open to falling into a lot of the clichés of the genre. Unfortunately, it does fall into some of those traps. It’s not detrimental to the movie but it lacks some originality. It follows a lot of the tropes of most spy movies. There’s lots of double crossing going on and all the information you get thrown at you doesn’t always make sense. 

     There’s also some pacing issues. In general, Atomic Blonde is a very high energy movie. At the same time, when it drags, it sticks out even more. There’s definitely the occasional slow scene of dialogue and the middle portion drags. Another issue was Sofia Boutella. I liked almost all the characters aside from her and her part didn’t feel necessary. 

     Atomic Blonde isn’t the most memorable of films but it’s still a fun time in the theatre. Seeing Charlize Theron kick some ass is worth the price alone. If you want to kick back, hear a good soundtrack, and see some meticulously planned out action, give it a chance. 7.8/10