DVD Review: Atomic Blonde
Double crossing, epic hand to hand combat and well versed double tapping of the trigger sets up the graphic novel to hit the big screen with Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) orchestrating every move. Going back to 1989 and the demise of the Berlin Wall, the chess match between the CIA, MI6, and the KGB was in full swing. Every side with an agenda, yet a few solo flying agents navigating the difficult waters of espionage.
Faltering agents with a hidden agenda have a relapse of patriotism and a “list” of all valued contacts connected to spies across every platform are compromised. Only the elite may traverse the mere necessity of keeping it quiet to protect the nature of all involved. Lorraine is complete with a set of skills like no other. She partners with British operative David Percival (James McAvoy), number one field agent in Berlin that understands life on both sides of the wall…and the political notion toward not trusting anyone. Third party involvement is that of a young French agent Delphine (Sofia Boutella) who gets caught up in a fight bigger than herself and must quickly determine how close to hold her cards in the game of life.
Satchel and spy glass are two key individuals that hold resolve in the palm of their hands. Storyline’s keep you guessing who is who and what alliances will hold true and which will betray all formality. Realizing it is 1989, there is little to no gadgetry, but slight of hand and working in the shadows is a must for any effective spy. Each player seems to understand this principle and executes ones proficiency well.
Toby Jones and John Goodman offer A list supportive roles in the story. Goodman holds true to the mysterious political power of the CIA and is suave as ever. Joining forces, the film depicts the debrief of agent Lorraine with Jones and Goodman at the helm. Scenes cut back and forth as we follow the logistics of a typical night in the life of a top quality spy. Killing, sneaking around the shadows, betrayal, love, hate, and doing whatever it takes to complete your mission.
No huge surprises, but a few twists and turns along the way that keep the audience engaged with the story and plotting along. Action packed and overall a decent story. Charlize easily morphs into a wide variety of characters that focus on undercover operatives and she really owns the part, you can hardly recognize that it is the same person in same scenes. Charlize Theron did a marvellous job executing every fight and battle with precision to offer an atomically kick butt operative that flourished toward achieving every task at hand.
Rating: R16 Graphic violence, sex scenes, offensive language & nudity.
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