#REVIEW Atomic Blonde

If you thought Charlize Theron kicked major ass in Mad Max: Fury Road, then you will not want to miss her newest film, Atomic Blonde, hitting theatres July 28^th.

Set during the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980’s, Theron plays a stylish and very deadly MI6 agent named Lorraine Broughton, who jets off to Berlin to find a list of secret agents which is about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Accompanied by a peculiar fellow agent, David Percival (played by James McAvoy), Broughton attempts to track down the list by any means necessary.

Very heavy emphasis on “by any means necessary.” Theron’s fight scenes in the movie are incredible, and hearing that she did a majority of her stunts shows how dedicated she is to the role. She fights bad guy after bad guy with one amazing scene in particular showing Theron take on multiple men in a fight down a staircase in one long take. It’s no surprise to see epic fight scenes like this considering John Wick’s David Leitch directs the movie.

This film is especially empowering to watch if you’re a woman, as it’s rare to find a movie where a female character is the lead and capable of protecting herself and others.

The only issue I had with the film was that the plot was really hard to follow and went all over the place. Different characters are double, triple and quadruple agents, making it hard to keep track and the storyline goes off in all directions. However, I did not go into this movie expecting a well-written story. I went into this film expecting to see Charlize be a bad ass and she did not disappoint.

If you’re a fan of 80’s music like myself, then the soundtrack will definitely be a highlight, as the film is packed with hits by bands like New Order and David Bowie. The music, combined with the overall punk rock aesthetic of the film, definitely makes it feel like one massive music video.

If you’ve been waiting for a movie to feature a female James Bond type character then look no further. With her platinum blonde bob, killer wardrobe, and even deadlier moves, Charlize simply dominates the screen and this movie can definitely be considered her unofficial audition to perhaps one day be a female Bond.

Universal Pictures releases Atomic Blonde in theatres on July 28, 2017

[Review by Jennifer King]