by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
When the initial The Old Guard hit Netflix in 2020, the sleek action flick that a somewhat surprising bright spot in a year with few of them. A film that seemed ripe for being a franchise starter, the immortal action hit is finally getting its follow-up five years later.
The Old Guard 2 picks up roughly where the original’s post-credits scene stopped off. It’s six months after the climactic fight. Our crew of immortal warriors, the recently rendered mortal Andy (Charlize Theron), Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and human helper Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), are continuing to try to fulfill their mission of doing good for humanity. Meanwhile, Quynh (Veronica Ngo), finally free and understandably angry after 500 years of daily deaths, approaches the exiled Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) at the behest an enigmatic figure, Discord (Uma Thurman).
From the start, our old crew is vibing off their previously built chemistry. From the opening job, we get reminded both of how well they all work together, and how Nile and Copley are fitting in as the new faces. The new crew is a bit more hit-and-miss. Quynh is a bit rough for me, if I’m honest. Ngo’s performance just doesn’t do it. Thurman is fine, but her character’s more intriguing than anything else. I found she is more interesting as a concept than as the character we get.
The clear standout of the relatively few newcomers is Henry Golding’s Tuah as a fellow immortal from Andy’s past who joins our crew for this adventure. I like the dynamic he adds to the core cast of characters. Most of the world building about the immortals is enjoyable (including the explanation of why Andy is suddenly reverting to mortal), and I think that’s why that character worked so well for me.
To be fair, most of why the new characters are largely more of a mixed bag isn’t totally on the actors. The script is probably the weakest part of the sequel, and it makes it hard to invest in characters when I’m not 100% bought in on what they are given to say. There are also some pacing issues, particularly in the first half or so. We’re just jumping all over the place, and makes everything feel a bit disjointed.
The action, which was a calling card of the original and what helped it stand out from other action films, is much more conventional here. It’s solid, but for the most part, it just doesn’t hit the heights of the original. The best visual moment by far is a beautifully executed time-hopping tracking shot that eventually leads into what is the best action set piece of the film — a hand-to-hand combat fight that really pops. However, the sequence doesn’t come until 45 minutes in. The rest of the action is generally competent enough, though there are moments where it feels like cuts and darkness hide things. There are some other rough visual moments where the effects are fairly glaring, but again, they are rare.
It’s clear that The Old Guard 2 is a step back. The film feels like it’s missing the original’s director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed The Woman King after The Old Guard — another film elevated by its action. Victoria Mahoney just doesn’t quite have the same talent for making the action pop on camera.
Another aspect I’m trying to wrestle with is how the release is impacting how I feel about this one. The original released in the summer of 2020, and I have to at least consider that my fondness for it has a little something to do with the fact that there wasn’t much to get excited about back then. Without having that built-in cushion, maybe that’s impacting the drop off (at least slightly) for the sequel.
The Old Guard 2 still gives me enough to enjoy for me to say I had a good time, but I admittedly think I was slightly higher on the original than most. It’s a sequel with diminishing returns, so calibrate your desire to see it against where you landed on the first one. Especially since it’s telegraphing that it wants you ready to invest in the story to come, as it pretty obviously ends at the halfway point.
Rating: Liked It
The Old Guard 2 is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Bluesky and Letterboxd