In his first feature film as director, David Leitch has employed his background as a stuntman to great effect. Technically there is little to fault the film's kinetic flair with impressive set pieces and fight sequences that evoke a genuine physicality.
Although we've seen this kind of spy story many times over, the film competently negotiates the pitfalls common to the genre, in particular the delicate balance between over or under explaining its many plot complications. Atomic Blonde's flashback narrative structure goes someway to alleviate such problems.
Most notably, Atomic Blonde is a comment on the current gender imbalance in spy thriller films, similar to Wonder Woman's take on the superhero genre.
Casting a woman as your protagonist is one thing, but when she excels in what is traditionally a man's domain, then it becomes a statement. At one point a character who is sympathetic to the old communist regime utters "Women are always getting in the way of progress," to which Theron's sharp retort is clearly a rebuke of such antiquated notions.
However, dig a little deeper beyond the style and gender concerns and (like Wonder Woman) we are met with a bog-standard genre flick that, while competently handled by its director, walks a well-trodden path. For some this will be enough, but others might consider Atomic Blonde to be a little hollow.
Atomic Blonde
Running time: 115 mins; Rating: R16
