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Atomic Bonde - Movie Review

4 stars

You can keep your Kate Beckinsale.  Move over Milla!  It’s official.  Charlize Theron is the Wonder Woman we need.  With Atomic Blonde, Theron becomes THE female action star by which all others should be measured against.  The character she plays, Agent Lorraine Broughton of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, is definitely worthy of a continuing franchise.   Broughton shreds through men like few others.  Talk about brute force.

But let’s not get too far ahead and plot out the how this series continues.  I’ve heard of a possible sequel or prequel (and that’s even BEFORE the movie has even been released), so enjoy that nugget.  But, truthfully, let’s enjoy the chaos that we have here.  Atomic Blonde is a full throttled assault to the senses as Broughton faces the political drama of 1989 all over again. 

Adapted for the screen by Kurt Johnstad, Atomic Blonde rocks the tail end of the Reagan years with definite style.  The Berlin Wall is set to crumble and she’s coupled with station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) in the thick of it all to track down a dossier of double agents and put a quick end to a mysterious (but deadly) espionage ring hell-bent on taking down the very best spies the West has to offer.   

Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart, Atomic Blonde is the feature film debut from stuntman David Leitch.  You’d never know it.  This action thriller performs like gangbusters and, as flashy as it is, suggests a solid understanding of the medium and what makes it memorable.  And it features excellent performances from John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones; all deserving of the world building the movie stages.

There is a hell of a lot of action scenes, a staircase assault being a standout, and Theron performs them deftly, celebrating the chance to get this movie out there.  She’s the executive producer, but no one would give it the light of day until after the success of Fury Road.  Here, she gets to prove – while her character gets entangled with KGB, FBI, and other MI6 agents – that blondes DEFINITEY have more fun.

The sets, full of Cold War flair and a bluish green hue, are interesting and have bedroom décor that would make Paul Verhoeven blush.  The lighting, with a nod to the neon side of things, is splashy and suspect, suggesting a huge influence from Nicolas Winding Refn. 

Theron, who does her own stunts here and broke her front teeth during one dangerous shoot, doesn’t need much dressing in order to kick major ass.  While the wardrobe is certainly there, Theron tackles stairs and hallways like few other females.  She certainly has the specific set of skills to make this Atomic Blonde an explosive secret agent spy thriller.    

Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me.  Atomic Blonde is a certifiable blast!

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Atomic Bonde - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: R for sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity.
Runtime:
115 mins
Director
: David Leitch
Writer:
Kurt Johnstad
Cast:
Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman
Genre
: Action | Mystery
Tagline:
Atomic Blonde.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Don't shoot, I've got your shoe!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Focus Features
Official Site: http://www.atomicblonde.com/
Release Date:
July 28, 2017
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
November 17, 2017.
Synopsis: The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.

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Atomic Bonde - Blu-ray Review

 

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Universal Studios
Available on Blu-ray - November 14, 2017
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS:X; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1; French
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set; UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy; BD-Live
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Presented with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, Universal Studio’s Blu-ray/DVD combo release of Atomic Blonde is a meditation of steely-eyed style and swagger. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is banging and so are the locations. This 1080p transfer crackles with detailed perfection and is virtually flawless in its technical prowess. The cinematography is often bathed in blue or green light so flesh tones are expectedly a little pale but fit in with the rest of the transfer. Black levels are of a high quality.   Music is strong and smooth, with a powerfully natural and dominant presence. Big, heavy effects often rule the day, with gunfight and explosions throughout while the ambient effects are somewhat limited but nevertheless engaging.

Supplements:

Commentary:

Purchasers of this release get two commentaries: one with Leitch and editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir and the other is a solo commentary with the film’s director.

Special Features:

 

Loaded with all different types of formats (as a DVD copy of the film and a UV/iTunes digital copy code are also included), the supplemental material on the blu-ray disc includes two storyboarded scenes (with optional commentary), a look at some deleted scenes, a supplemental item explaining why the era and place are important to the movie, the training for the movie, and a look at the qualities of the director himself. The stairs fight scene also gets briefly deconstructed.

  • Deleted/Extended Scenes (7 min)
  • Welcome to Berlin (5 min)
  • Blondes Have More Gun (7 min)
  • Spymaster (4 min)
  • Anatomy of a Fight Scene (8 min)
  • Story in Motion (4 min)

 

 

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Atomic Bonde - Movie Review

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