ATOMIC BLONDE || Academy Award winning Charlize Theron turns it all on for the new Cold War action film, Atomic Blonde, with fighting, sex, and espionage all wrapped into what looks like one helluva package. Based on Antony Johnston’s 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City, Theron plays an undercover MI6 spy who must retrieve a missing list of double agents in Berlin during the Cold War. The fight sequences look absolutely phenomenal and rightfully so, as director David Leitch, one of the men behind the original John Wick and already set to direct Deadpool 2, has been involved in martial arts and stunt work in film since 1997. This will be his first solo directing credit as he co-directed with Chad Stahelski on John Wick. The fight scenes look so incredible, in fact, that it begs the question why Warner Bros. and DC cannot get anything that looks even half as cool in their superhero films. It does make me excited to see what Leitch can do with Deadpool 2. Co-starring in Atomic Blonde are James McAvoy, John Goodman, Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service & Star Trek Beyond), and Tobey Jones.
Not only are the amazing style choices of the film on full display, with its dark, glossy neons engulfing every frame, but the music choices in the trailer are equally impeccable. “Blue Monday” by Orgy opens the piece, as we are introduced to Theron’s Lorraine Broughton and her many hair colors (blonde, brunette, and red). The mission is set up by a CIA Agent played John Goodman, who informs Broughton that her lover has been killed, although she plays it coy. The editing of this trailer is definitely on display as well, as old songs can sometimes lack the wherewithal to allow for decent punches and hits, but this is edited with such precision that the song actually makes the first fight scene better. When James McAvoy shows up, the cue changes to Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” which eventually gets mashed up with Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” (which was previously used in the Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising trailer) to great effect, with the timing of the editing once again feeling spot on, with Theron showing her wit, sexuality, and battle cry.
Release Date: July 28, 2017
Directed By: David Leitch
Studio: Universal Pictures
