

Of course, a large portion of the film's potently dynamic stamina comes from the totally bitchin' soundtrack of 80s tunes. The scene is aggressive and animated with a kinetic energy that feels sadly missing from many contemporary actioners but carried through for the rest of the movie's 115-minute runtime. At the heart of it is a MacGuffin involving a wristwatch and the secret list of active spies that has MI6 scrambling to recover it. Situated in the angst-ridden streets of a drastically-changing 1989 Germany on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the story immediately opens with a chase and murder scene that essentially sets the tone and pace. Despite feeling familiar, Leitch's film transcends the similarities to deliver a white-knuckle thrill-ride that's just as visually stunning and memorable as it is riveting and exhilarating. In this case, action fans, and moviegoers, in general, will be missing out on one of the best genre flicks of the year, adding to a growing list of features from around the world that mark 2017 as a great year for movies as a whole.

The problem is those comparisons, unfortunately, can and probably do sound more like accusations and an unreasonable judgment of the film's quality. So, again, the comparisons are warranted.

Only, he's given an uncredited role in the first John Wick while Atomic Blonde marks his solo feature-length directorial debut. Then, there is also the fact both films share the same director, David Leitch. And this is in spite the fact that the source material for this espionage thriller about a deadly government assassin beat our favorite neo-noir hitman by at least a couple years. It's inevitable that Atomic Blonde will be compared to John Wick in the eyes of action fans everywhere, and the comparisons are objectively and undoubtedly justified. Also starring John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones, the film is based on the Oni Press graphic novel series“The Coldest City,” by Antony Johnston & illustrator Sam Hart. A blistering blend of sleek action, gritty sexuality and dazzling style, Atomic Blonde is directed by David Leitch (John Wick, upcoming Deadpool 2). 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. 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. Oscar winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors.
