Atomic Blonde (2017) Movie Review

My one gripe of Atomic Blonde is solely based on what my expectations of the film were. I expected a knock-down, drag-out fight from beginning to end, nothing but high octane action. What I got instead was a clever spy film with loads of action in between. So clever that I found myself having to pay more attention than I was hoping to. Fair warning now, if you're going to see Atomic Blonde, keep both eyes open or you could miss something important.

Atomic Blonde hits hard while being sexy and sleek at the same time. I think this pretty much sums up Charlize Theron's character Lorraine in a nutshell. She is quite the beast in this movie. I have never seen someone kick so much butt and look seemingly disinterested with the whole affair at the same time. She's the kind of person that you'd want to have along for a drink while always being in fear of saying the wrong thing. Theron commands the role as the female hero, even moreso in my humble opinion than Gadot with Wonder Woman. While both can be applauded for doing exceptional jobs, I have to give the butt-kicking award to Lorraine.

The plot is smooth with a handful of bumps in the road. There are just enough twists and enough intrigue that keep things moving along without muddling things too badly. Theron plays the role of hardcore spy Lorraine who is on assignment in Berlin to take down an espionage ring. What ensues among deceit and lies are long, well-directed actions sequences that show how well Lorraine can take a punch.

And boy does she take a lot of them. It's one of the most noticeable things to love about the movie, the fact that Lorraine can not only hang with the big boys, but she surpasses them in every way. She is as ruthless as John Wick and as nimble of foot as Black Widow. She gets hit (and hard), but manages to bounce back and destroy her opposition. Girl power at its finest.

Shot in an interesting contrast of grittiness and bright colors, Atomic Blonde is another awesome work by director David Leitch. I give it a 90.

Wonder Woman (2017) Movie Review

I hate that my favorite action scene in Wonder Woman is the one I can't talk about without spoiling things. It's a climactic battle between good and evil and it fills the big screen from one end to the other. It's amazing to watch. Almost makes you think: Where has this been all this time, DC?

Mind you, this isn't the only pleasing action sequence, just the best. Wonder Woman's power is on full display throughout the entire film as she tosses tanks with ease and flies from one building to the next taking out a slew of dudes along the way. A lot of the coolest fight scenes ever done in film include the One Versus Many scenario and our superheroine of the hour finds herself in this situation more than once. While it doesn't quite meet the same level of excitement as watching Logan slice through enemies like paper, I give a lot of credit to director Patty Jenkins for ensuring that these scenes were carefully crafted to the point of being memorable.

Yes, DC fans, Wonder Woman is here and it's the movie you actually deserve. To those of you that didn't see Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice: 1. Be thankful; 2. All you need to know is that this film follows the origin story of Wonder Woman and how she went from a young girl growing up in the Greek-centric Themyscira to the powerful heroine who is symbol of love and truth. For those that did see BVS, this film answers the question: What's the deal with that old-timey picture that Bruce Wayne found?

While DC movies lately have been missing the mark with their humor, Wonder Woman finds its target quite a few times. I loved that the funny wasn't forced like it could be at times in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Because it came naturally, it was naturally funny. The film didn't just rely on Chris Pine to carry the comic relief load as a lot of the characters managed to get their quips in some form or fashion, even Gal Gadot.

Speaking of Gadot, I must give her all the props in the world for doing the character of Diana (Wonder Woman) justice. Gadot is sensational in her role. She offers the perfect blend of naivety and fierceness that makes Wonder Woman who she is. Maybe there's another actress out there who could have played the role just as well, but Gadot is by no means forgetful. She breathes life into a franchise badly in need of resuscitation.

For all of the things the film did right, there were a number of tiny things that kept it from excelling into greatness. I'll just touch on two. They failed when they tried to throw a love story into the mix. Again, I won't ruin anything, but not only did I feel like it was unnecessary, I also thought it was very contradictory to Diana's personality and her philosophy of life. They had already established (in a pretty funny way) that she had no need for a man. Why ruin things by forcing the issue?

Finally, the slow motion sequences were a little too much for me at times. There were a few moments where it heightens the moment, but there were too many times where it felt over the top a la Transformers. I hope they play with this a little bit for the sequel.

Is Wonder Woman the best superhero movie of the year? No and it's not even close. I actually laughed when I heard they were pushing for a Best Picture nomination. It's a solid film, but not nearly as good as what Logan gave us. Much needed win for DC, though! I give it an 89.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) Movie Review

Sure, a movie critic could come in and pick Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets apart, frame by frame. One thing that won't be a part of that discussion is the visuals. The film takes you on a tour from scene to jawdropping scene. You'll explore a space beach with titanic seashells decorating the water. Oceanic depths where alien creatures abide. Chase scenes with so many visuals you will blink and miss something. Director Luc Besson has never been one to shortchange creativity and Valerian is no exception.

The visuals go a lot further than the actual depth of the movie and that's a part of the problem. Valerian is pretty straightforward so don't expect a whole lot of twists and turns. It felt like Besson was trying to get from Point A to Point B with as straight of a formulaic arrow as possible. Mind you, there are other films that do the same. John Wick is the most recent that comes to mind. However, when you take this approach everything else has to be spectacular in order for the film to work. That doesn't quite happen here.

The main characters, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) were about as deep as cardboard. They were there for one thing and one thing only: advance the plot. Not sure if it was the acting or the poor script, but the execution could have been so much better. Going back to John Wick, Wick's character has a similar lack of depth, but he's got something the rest of the audience can reach for and relate to: Rage. He's beyond angry and you get it. You root for him to see his rage and revenge exacted. With Valerian and Laureline, on the other hand, there's not enough motivation to really care about what happens to these characters. Not to mention, they have zero chemistry yet viewers are supposed to believe there is a spark of romance there.

Regarding the plot, a dark threat is trying to attack the City of Alpha and Valerian and Laureline have to get to the bottom of it. The film doesn't do everything wrong, which is the reason I didn't rate it lower. The action is fun at times. You'll also find yourself laughing a bit if you like a drier wit. A few tweaks would have made the film as good as its visuals. As it stands, I give it a 75.