“Atomic Blonde” is one of the last action films of this overall pretty solid Summer movie season. It’s also the last big movie of a stellar month of July at the theaters, and unfortunately this month goes out on a whimper. “Atomic Blonde” is one of those forgettable action movies with some really big highlights, and some really big negatives. First and foremost, I don’t understand why director David Letich (“John Wick” and the upcoming “Deadpool 2”) chose to give this movie a sort of punky style. It doesn’t benefit the film in the slightest especially considering that it’s set against the backdrop of the Cold War era, and the wall separating East and West Berlin being ready to be taken down in a few days time. It’s not a jarring style but it makes me question the choice of even going that route in the first place. Because while plenty of scenes include bright flashing colors that reflect off of Charlize’s cold face it doesn’t mesh with the Cold War spy thriller story it’s trying to tell. It’s like Leitch included this just to show some “separation” from other stories in this genre. Unfortunately this story includes too many moving pieces, and nothing memorable outside of the action. Once more in these Summer blockbusters we get the infamous, “The List”. The main object in this movie that every single character is after. Thus making their paths cross on numerous occasions and letting the action scenes take center stage. Oh, and let us not forget how characters appear, disappear, and reappear once more just to give the narrative a little boost in some cheap emotional value. Then the movie concludes with some sort of...revelation that the movie acts like we never saw coming and keeps those big doors wide open for a possible sequel. I bet if you didn’t know this review was for “Atomic Blonde” you would have already visualized 10-20 films that fit this description. That’s because “Atomic Blonde” is nothing we haven’t seen before, it’s everything you’ve seen 10 times over and it attempts to do something new with it but it can’t even follow through with the swing. Now to be fair, I am sort of a sucker for these crackling spy thrillers, so I mildly enjoyed some of the story but nothing I would come out raving about. What I can rave about is the action scenes that Leitch puts on display. I think that Leitch knows we’re in this weird craze as a film fanbase over hallway fights or stairway fights, so Leitch capitalizes on that and delivers one of action’s finest scenes yet. In a stunningly choreographed one take fight scene we feel every punishing blow from Charlize and the nameless bad guys with scruffy beards. Bodies tumble down, blood paints the icy cold corners of this Berlin building, and characters groan and ache with bruises that are sure to last for a week or two. It’s everything action should be and a scene that is sure to inspire many other directors that will attempt to replicate this. There are also a few scenes that include a really powerful hose and a scene set against Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Stalker” (which ironically enough I’m in the middle of right now). But as mentioned before, the action is really the only worthwhile thing talking about and all anyone, fan or non-fan are talking about coming out of the film. The story is convoluted, messy, been there done that-esque, and “Atomic Blonde” is like this year’s “The Accountant” for me personally. Except “The Accountant” has a far more creative story (despite it’s predictability and convoluted nature) and a lead character that kicks ton of ass in some of the film’s defining moments. “Atomic Blonde” is absolutely nothing to write home about or even worth seeing in theaters. The performances that are given are serviceable, believable, and they look to be having fun, but unless you’re a fan of this cast you will find yourself relatively bored with who you see on screen. Charlize Theron is fine as the lead character Lorraine (yeah her name was Atomic Blonde until I saw her name written on an envelope) but she’s no Keanu Reeves as John Wick. David Leitch has a great knack for action direction and choreography, and should be the second unit director on most action scenes today, but he forgot what made a movie like John Wick so special. There’s a beauty that lies in simplicity, and “Atomic Blonde” is anything but that. “Atomic Blonde” gets a 53/100