Review: 'The Old Guard 2'
A clumsy sequel too caught up in its own mythology
You might remember the immortal mercenaries from Netflix’s 2020 mythological action flick, The Old Guard. Led by the ancient warrior Andromache of Scythia, or Andy (played by Charlize Theron), this secretive team of unaging warriors has fought through the centuries, nudging history in the right direction, with mixed results.
The original team consisted of four members, each having died at some point in history only to discover that for some mysterious reason, they were immortal. But their gift is not eternal; one day, their healing powers will inevitably fade, and death will become final.
Besides Andy, the team included the roguish and well-read Sebastian Le Livre, or Booker (played by Matthias Schoenaerts), a soldier who died fighting for Napoleon. Then there are the lovers, Yusuf Al-Kaysani, or Joe (played by Marwan Kenzari), and Nicolò di Genova, or Nicky (played by Luca Marinelli). Once enemies during the Crusades, they killed each other repeatedly until they realized they were both immortal and fell in love instead.
Each immortal carries their own baggage from centuries of life. For Andy, it’s the weight of millennia; for Booker, the loss of his son to cancer centuries ago; and for the medieval warriors, their undying love for each other. This unkillable existence is a double-edged sword: a promise of immortality that is a powerful lure for greedy mortals, making secrecy paramount. For a being who cannot die, eternal imprisonment is the greatest threat of all.
The original The Old Guard was a solid action film. Based on the comic book series written by Greg Rucka, it introduced us to the immortal warriors, now tired and jaded after witnessing humanity’s endless capacity for destruction. When U.S. soldier Nile Freeman (played by Kiki Layne) is killed in Afghanistan and miraculously awakens, Andy takes it upon herself to recruit her and introduce her to a new, unending life.
We were also introduced to CIA Agent James Copley (played by the always excellent Chiwetel Ejiofor), who initially conspired with the cartoonishly evil pharmaceutical CEO Merrick (played by Harry Melling) to capture the team. However, Copley eventually had a change of heart and joined the immortals in their mission.
The Old Guard 2 picks up where the first film left off. Andy’s old soulmate, the immortal Quynh (played by Veronica Ngo), is freed from the depths of the ocean where she was trapped in a steel casket five centuries earlier. Driven mad by the endless cycle of drowning and reviving, she now swears revenge on everyone — immortals and mortals alike.
At her side is the rich, mysterious, and mustache-twirling Discord (played by Uma Thurman), who has nefarious schemes of her own. They are on a collision course with Andy’s team, which now includes Agent Copley and a new immortal loremaster, Tuah (played by Henry Golding).
The Old Guard 2 is a clunky movie. When Netflix sent me the screener, I decided to rewatch the original first. To my surprise, the first film, which I enjoyed upon its release, now seemed slower and clunkier than I remembered. What I still appreciated were the mysteries and historical aspects, particularly the glimpses into the past — a good example of “show, don’t tell” storytelling.
As I started the sequel, my initial impression was that the direction and writing had improved. This feeling, however, was short-lived. After an opening scene where Discord retrieves Quynh’s casket, we’re thrown into an over-the-top action sequence where the immortals raid a mansion to take out some gun runners. While the action is competent, it often feels unnecessarily complex — a case of style over substance. In wide shots, the dodgy choreography becomes apparent. John Wick, this is not.
And then the film slams on the brakes. After the initial action, the plot slows to a snail’s pace. The immortals trot around the world, investigating, meeting people, and ruminating endlessly on what it means to be immortal. I started to wonder if I had accidentally switched to a different movie — perhaps a talky indie drama where everyone needs a group therapist.
One of the best aspects of the first film was how it handled the mystery of their immortality. Nobody knew why they were chosen. Why did they dream of new immortals? When would their gift end? No answers, only hints and riddles, and the film was better for it.
The Old Guard 2 plays dangerously close to the Highlander 2 (1991) school of storytelling, where every mystery must be dissected and explained away in some outlandish way. Books are consulted, the mechanics of immortality are explored, and characters deliver pages of dialogue about their thoughts and feelings. For people who can’t die, they sure spend a lot of time talking about mortality, making it all feel so slow and melodramatic you almost wish one of them could die, just to move things along.
The film does have its moments, however. We are treated to a couple of interesting visual sequences, such as one where Andy walks through an urban area, only to see it change seamlessly around her as she remembers its transformation through the centuries. There is also a great deal of globetrotting — perhaps too much — as the characters skip from one iconic city to the next. The film’s budget for on-screen location cards must have been considerable. Can someone count them? I’m honestly curious about how many times you get a card on screen that says “Paris, France” or “Rome, Italy” and similar.
While Charlize Theron is good as usual, it seems she’s straining against the material. The same goes for Uma Thurman, who, as the villainous Discord, is given little to do but look menacing and wear fabulous, evil outfits. It’s sad to see, as both are capable of so much more.
When the action finally returns, we’re deep in wannabe James Bond territory. Schemes are hatched, mustaches are twirled, and bombs are planted. Gone are the mysteries and the ambiguity. Instead, we get more clunky action, silly martial arts, and firefights that would make anyone with a passing knowledge of tactics either scratch their head or laugh out loud.
The Old Guard 2 is not a very good sequel. While the acting has improved somewhat, and there are a few moments of visual flair, the film feels slow and unevenly paced, making its 1-hour, 45-minute runtime feel much longer.