This week Charlize Theron heads up Atomic Blonde. Set in 1980’s Berlin, the film tells the story of Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent tasked with tracking down a highly sought after list of double agents. It’s a neon-soaked, action-noir thriller directed by David Leitch, one half of the John Wick directing dream team. Lorraine is a lady who knows how to handle herself. With Charlize channelling her inner Keanu, the old co-stars actually trained together; she demonstrates that she can most definitely hold her own. She’s not the first kick-ass blonde to grace our screens though, and it got us thinking about our other favourite atomic blondes…
He-Man
Potentially the first atomic blond, Dolph Lundgren burst onto the scene in the 1980’s with back-to-back roles in A View to a Kill and Rocky IV. However, in these films he’s a supporting player. In order for him to get his first lead we had to wait for Masters of the Universe where he played beloved cartoon hero He-Man. The series tells the tale of Prince Adam of Eternia who moonlights as action hero He-Man. Aided by his trusty cat Cringer (who becomes Battle Cat) the duo transform by the power of Grayskull as they try to defeat the evil Skeletor and his minions. In 1987 the cartoon series was brought to life with Dolph playing the heroic blond.
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers, AKA The Slayer, is such an atomic blonde that she transcends both film and television. We were first introduced to the character twenty-five years ago as we watched Donald Sutherland train Kristy Swanson to kill vampires. The film also starred Luke Perry, and had Buffy protect her Californian town from a wave of vampires headed up by Rutger Hauer. Swanson was brilliant in the role, her tongue being just as vicious as her fighting. Next came the television iteration, made iconic by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The location changed from California to the fictional Sunnydale, which also happened to be a literal mouth to Hell. A nexus for vampires and all manner of demons, Buffy and her Scooby gang fought evil on a weekly basis for seven years before eventually hanging up their stakes.
David
Played by Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, David doesn’t really have many faults. Okay, so he’s a vampire, but since when was that a bad thing? In 1987 David proved that vampires could be oh so cool as he led his gang of ‘Lost Boys’. Dressed in full eighties rocker chic, riding a sick bike, and having one of the coolest hideouts in film history, it’s hard to see why Michael (Jason Patric) didn’t want to join him. A definite fan of peroxide, David proved that blonds, at least vampire blondes, really do have more fun.
Daenerys Targaryen
She’s the Mother of Dragons, enough said.
Thor
If you like your atomic blonds Godly, then Thor is clearly the choice for you. Played to perfection by Chris Hemsworth, Thor and his trusty hammer Mjolnir have saved civilisation several times. A native of the realm of Asgard, Thor is one of the more majestic members of The Avengers. He often clashes heads with Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man, but is still a team player. Long, flowing, golden locks have been the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s trademark Thor look, however, his next film, Thor Ragnarok, will see him get the chop. Don’t worry though, he’s still blond and will still be all kinds of awesome.
Danielle
The Girl Next Door is one of the better modern-day teen movies, and features killer blonde Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert). Matthew (Emile Hirsch) is a straight-laced student, desperate to get into Georgetown, but without anything about him that stands out. That is until he meets his new next door neighbour, the blonde bombshell that is Danielle. Instantly smitten, Matthew embarks on a relationship with her, but after news about her past in the porn industry comes to light, everything changes. Matthew soon finds himself involved with some very shady characters as he tries to secure his future and hang onto the girl next door. Now, Danielle might not be as action orientated as some of the others on the list, but she is certainly an atomic blonde. Comfortable in her own skin, she owns her past, and empowers Matthew to better himself, all whilst looking smoking hot.
Lorraine Broughton
Lorraine is new to the ranks of cinema blondes, but is worthy of inclusion. The film poster alone proves why she’s a force to be reckoned with. As Lorraine, Charlize Theron is the epitome of female action hero. Able to more than handle herself, she takes down hoards of men effortlessly. She’s not afraid to get down and dirty to complete her mission and spends a chunk of the film black and blue. She’s super-stylish, as any secret agent should be, and subverts the expected sexuality stereotypes. Every fibre of Lorraine oozes a deadly cocktail of sensuality, intelligence and power.
Catch Atomic Blonde in cinemas from Wednesday 9th August 2017. Read our full review here.
