In director David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron brings the heat, reminiscent of how Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton brought it in their now iconic action roles. Her dedication to the physicality of the part is commendable and refreshing, couple that with Theron’s innate emotional intensity, and you have a compelling and dynamic performance brought to screen by the actor. Thespian accolades should also be attributed to Sofia Boutella The Kingsman (2014) and James McAvoy Split (2016) who mastered their respective roles with notable aplomb.
Unfortunately, the film does suffer a bit in the storytelling department. There are far too many instances of much to do about nothing that, I’m sure, were intended to contribute to the mood of the film, but mostly just added a sense of tedium…for the audience. In a nutshell, the story and the dialogue just aren’t as interesting as the action and this imbalance hurts the film overall. Fortunately, the drudging weight of the plot is kept afloat by the choice musical tent-poles ( A stellar selection of 80’s-era hits, many of which from English singers like David Bowie) set throughout the film. This, interspersed with bombastic action sequences bolsters the film enough to qualify it as a decent addition to the action film pantheon and solidifies Charlize Theron as this generations go-to Action Heroine.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Summary
Charlize does the two-step on bad guys faces in the actioner Atomic Blonde
