There is a long line of one-man wrecking machines who are able to takedown entire operations without assistance. Their backgrounds vary from government agents to experienced assassins to angry fathers or all of the above. Yet their female counterparts are almost non-existent. But that’s about to change with Charlize Theron‘s latest picture, Atomic Blonde, in which she portrays an elite MI6 spy.
WARNING: Red band trailer contains scenes of sexuality, violence and foul language.
After watching the trailer, it’s likely most viewers will pick up on similarities between this film and another recent release, thus dubbing Theron’s character “the female-John Wick“… though I don’t remember seeing Keanu Reeves in various states of undress throughout most of the film, let alone the trailer. In any case, the comparison is a valid one since the movie is directed by former stuntman and coordinator David Leitch, who co-directed the 2014 film and is now making his solo directorial debut. He’s also been tapped to direct the Deadpool sequel, having gotten his feet wet with the short teaser released last week, so fans will definitely be looking to this picture for a glimpse of what to expect from the “Merc with the Mouth” the next time around.
But back to this movie, which is based on the graphic novel, The Coldest City, by Antony Johnston. Set in Berlin in 1989 shortly before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is recruited to investigate the murder of an undercover agent in the city and recover a list of double agents that threatens to jeopardize the West’s entire intelligence operation. She’s teamed with Berlin station chief David Percival (James McAvoy), but she doesn’t appear to need much assistance. The first minute of action unfolds to HEALTH’s cover of “Blue Monday,” followed by the even more appropriate “Killer Queen” by Queen to more formally introduce her character: an “expert in escape and evasion… proficient in intelligence collection and hand-to-hand combat.”
There’s definite potential here, but the trailer’s attention to action over substance may be a red flag — at least the soundtrack won’t disappoint. The film opens July 28, 2017.
