It’s been five long years, but The Old Guard 2 is finally here. I don’t know about the rest of the movie-watching world, but I’ve been longing to see these immortal warriors back in action. Now, with a new director at the helm, does this comic book adaptation live up to expectations?
The Old Guard 2
The Old Guard, adapted from the Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández comic book series, arrived on Netflix during the pandemic. It quietly became a favorite for many, including me.
Most of us couldn’t wait for the sequel, but the possibility of The Old Guard 2 seemed elusive as more and more years ticked by. With Netflix’s propensity for cancellations, many viewers expected the streaming service to cancel the trilogy. Thankfully, we were wrong.
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The Old Guard 2 takes place around six months after the events of the first film. Andromache, or Andy (Charlize Theron), supposedly the world’s oldest immortal, seems at peace with her newfound mortality.
She’s still leading her team of immortal mercenaries, which includes couple Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) and the newest immortal, Nile Freeman (Kiki Layne).
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Added to the team is Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a mortal who uncovered the team’s immortality. Now, he’s along for the ride to stop bad guys and protect the world.
Joining the fray in The Old Guard 2 is Andy’s secret associate, an immortal named Tuah (Henry Golding), who has dedicated his life to researching the histories of the immortals.
Things Get Personal
The story of The Old Guard 2 is much more personal than the first. If there was one major criticism to be levied on the original film, it’s that the villain was unmemorable and shlocky. This time around, the villain… well, she’s got a point.
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We’d learned about Andy’s long-lost love, Quynh (Veronica Ngo), in the first film—she’d been imprisoned in an iron maiden and supposedly lost to the seas. Or, at the very least, Andy couldn’t find her.
But now Quynh is out, and she’s joined forces with the boss villain to hunt down Andy. Why? Quynh learned that while she was trapped underwater for 500 years, her girlfriend’s been roaming the world collecting buddies. Can you blame the woman for being a little angry?
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This is the crux of The Old Guard 2. Andy’s guilt and Quynh’s anger position them on opposing sides. The story is very focused on these two, unfortunately to the detriment of the other characters.
While the rest of the cast, including new villain Discord (Uma Thurman), have their moments, the film doesn’t give them the chance to develop much. But there’s a reason why.
The Old Guard 2 Is Half a Story
The Old Guard 2 is very obviously only half the tale. I wonder if director Victoria Mahoney and writers Greg Rucka and Sarah L. Walker were trying the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trick of leaving us with a cliffhanger, so a trilogy would be guaranteed.
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That’s not a bad tactic, especially given how streaming services constantly cancel properties for no good reason. I’m all for it. But we still need to get a complete product, irrespective of the cliffhanger.
That’s the biggest criticism for The Old Guard 2. A lot of lore feels rushed and thrust at the viewer just in time to be useful to the story. All this new information, which becomes vital to the plot, as well as some of the character arcs, needs time to breathe.
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Nile feels particularly relegated to the background, instead of advancing the story like she had in the first film. Joe and Nicky, who stole our hearts with their romance in the original, get one sweet moment, but absolutely no romance. At least Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) gets an arc.
And yet, it’s hard to complain when you have the complicated emotions of Andy and Quynh at play. We don’t get much romance between them, aside from sad pining, so we could have done with half an hour more of these two being in love.
We’d Better Get a Part 3
If it’s not obvious by now, The Old Guard 2 has issues. But there are plenty of bright sparks as well. The action scenes are much more energetic and better-paced in this film. And director Victoria Mahoney makes a few directorial choices that are breathtaking to watch.
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The sets and locations are outstanding. From a ridiculously quirky art-infested home to a gorgeous underground library to a sterile but ominous nuclear facility, The Old Guard 2 boggles the mind with its set choices.
The characters continue to be the biggest draw. Layne has some great snarky moments. Ngo gets more screen time, and she’s a striking presence, dressed gorgeously, while subtly sharing a myriad of emotions.
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Kenzari and Marinelli still have so much chemistry, you wish the best for their loved-up characters. And Golding and Ejiofor are always so magnetic on screen, you can’t stop watching them.
This isn’t Theron’s best performance, but she brings so much love to Andy that we deserve to see her inhabit this role again. And Thurman, well, she’s just getting started with Discord. Her screen presence is undeniable.
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Even if the story is half-told, The Old Guard 2 feels immersive. The characters are so lovable, they wind their way into your heart. You may not agree with all their decisions, but they definitely make sense.
Admittedly, the film isn’t quite as epic as its poster makes it out to be. But, irrespective of how good, bad, or rotten the ratings are for The Old Guard 2, Netflix had better give us the threequel. We need to know what happens next.
The Old Guard 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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