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After seeing War for the Planet of the Apes, the next new release was Dunkirk. However, for now, I have decided to postpone that one, as I do not think I have enough material to properly cover it yet, so it may require a second viewing. Despite that, I do think I have enough to cover the one following that, which was Atomic Blonde.
The story is set in 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton is sent in to recover a watch that contains the List, a microfilm with the names of all agents in the Soviet Union. She also has to find an agent codenamed "Satchel," who murdered the MI6 operative protecting it, and eliminate him. Considering both MI6 and the KGB are after it, Lorraine needs to figure out who to trust.
What Worked: The plot, while not original, is still interesting because of two things. The first is a difference in protagonist, and the second is that the movie around it this time is a period piece, where it takes place around an event that actually did happen. Those two things are what make the plot interesting. The cast and the technical aspects are what keep it interesting.
For the cast, there are several actors to discuss here. First is Charlize Theron as Lorraine, a high-ranking MI6 agent. She shows that her character is tough, committed to the mission, and capable of holding her own, especially in a fight. The other main actor in the movie is James McAvoy as David Percival, a station chief in Berlin who is tasked with helping her. He's eccentric to where he's actually hilarious. For that reason alone, he's the best character in the movie. There is some humor here, most of which comes from him.
The rest of the cast includes John Goodman as a CIA agent, Toby Jones as Lorraine's superior at MI6, Sofia Boutella as a French agent who Lorraine meets at one point, and Eddie Marsan as a character codenamed "Spyglass," who originally had the List. They are all really good in the movie, and their characters each have a purpose in the story. There's even a moment with John Goodman's character that's hilarious; it's something Lorraine says in the beginning, and it comes back around at the end.
Aside from Charlize Theron, the two biggest stars of the movie come from behind the scenes: director David Leitch and the soundtrack. David Leitch is a stuntman whose directorial debut came with the original John Wick. His experience and direction both show he's capable of handling action sequences. There is one sequence in particular that stands out: a scene in an apartment that results in a car chase. Watch closely during that one because it looks like it's all one take. There might have been some cuts, but they are so cleverly masked it's hard to tell whether or not there are any.
For those who remember when I covered Baby Driver, I said that even the soundtrack was a character in that movie. To an extent, it is here as well, but mostly because the songs were both from the 80s and used to make the setting feel like the 80s. Despite this soundtrack not being used as brilliantly as the one in Baby Driver was, it's still a great one, and it's the second best soundtrack of the year.
What Didn't Work: The plot centering around a list of every agent has been used before. Another problem is with the reveal of who "Satchel" is. It's narrowed down to two characters, with one of them somewhat implying themselves. While clever in execution since it is surprising, it is also somewhat predictable. Both of these issues could be attributed to the writing, although I thought it was fine. A minor problem is with the pacing. Its inconsistencies are occasional, but noticeable.
Overall: Atomic Blonde may not quite reinvent the spy genre, but it does bring a few new things to the table, particularly a female protagonist. While it does have some similarities to John Wick with the action and James Bond with certain other aspects, aside from that, it's completely different. The plot may not be original, but that might have been the best way to go about introducing Lorraine Broughton, should there be plans for a potential franchise: use something familiar, and then something new. Even with its share of problems, there's still more to enjoy here. Atomic Blonde is not a perfect spy movie, but it is a lot of fun.