Atomic Blonde

The action was really cool even though i almost got bored of it in the middle of the movie, as for the story, it gets good at first, then getting really bad, more like a downhill.

The characters are even complicated, you don't know whether they're good or bad it made it much worse.

I love Charlize, but I'm getting a little tired of James, as he seems to be everywhere lately. This movie looked great, and I love the era, especially with the background story of the Berlin wall, but I just didn't care about the characters much, nor the story. The action was fantastic though, and I wish there were more of it. Perhaps a laugh or too occasionally would have helped as well.

It's 1989 in the days before the fall of the Berlin wall. British agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is sent in to retrieve a list of agents. David Percival (James McAvoy) is her contact. Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella) becomes her lover. After the mission, she is debriefed by CIA Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman) and MI6 Eric Gray (Toby Jones).

There is the music, the action, and the lesbian sex. I love the hose fight. There is such great intensity. The car chase is also right up there. This movie has great sequences. The story itself is a muddle of unknowable characters and simplistic plot devices. The biggest sin is the flashforward debriefing scene. It takes away the danger and it also grinds down the pacing. It should have been done straight up timeline. This could have been a fun spy romp but the storytelling is so jumbo that I stopped caring about the plot or the characters.

Atomic Blonde is the story of a British secret agent (Theron) who gets sent to East Germany around the time of the Berlin Wall removal. Her task - find the list of British agents that is apparently for sale and will endanger all of Britain's undercover agents.

The storyline is a bit hard to follow, purposely, which is the biggest negative. You are unsure who is a good guy or bad guy or something in between, or both, or neither. The mystery is supposed to build intrigue but it also builds confusion too.

It is clear that the Russians are the bad guys. James McAvoy delivers a great portrayal of the British agent on site who has the most info of anyone about the truth. But can he be trusted? Americans are involved, as well as the French. John Goodman also delivers as the CIA head, with Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond) playing a sexy junior French agent.

The acting is outstanding. McAvoy seems crazy. Goodman is secretive. Theron is inspecting and questioning everything as she tries to discover the truth.

There is terrific use of colors and David Bowie music. The highlights are the fighting scenes that show just how tough Theron really is. Watch the Extra Features to learn all the training she put in to get in shape to kick butt. There is one long fight scene that spills into the stairway that will blow your mind.

The ending is a pretty good twist, which you may or may not suspect, since there is such big confusion about agents' loyalties. The director also leaves open the door for a sequel which I believe Theron has signed on for.

If you like a sexy, strong, somewhat violent spy movie, Atomic Blonde will blow you away. Enjoy!

So many negative reviews - why I wondered. Then it sunk in. Many viewers misunderstood the premise. This film was adapted from a graphic novel series, basically adult comic books. Don't compare it to The Spy who Came in from the Cold; instead think Sin City.

It's obviously a vehicle for Charlize Theron, and it works. Whenever she's in a scene (which is almost every scene), it's impossible to take your eyes off her. I have one question: When she emerges from the ice bath in the beginning and we see her looking at her reflection, how did they manage the lighting & camera to make her eyes look almost reptilian?