The Old Guard follows a group of immortal warriors led by Andromache of Scythia a.k.a. Andy (Charlize Theron). For thousands of years, they have participated in many of history’s major battles, hoping to make the world a better place. At the present time, they work as mercenaries who take on missions with right causes. However, although they have done their best to keep their immortality a secret, they find themselves being hunted by an ex-CIA officer (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a nefarious CEO (Harry Melling), who intend to exploit their remarkable regenerative abilities. Meanwhile, a new immortal, U.S. Marine Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne), emerges from Afghanistan, and Andy must retrieve her before she can be seized and locked up by the military.
A franchise that I would love to
be rebooted for modern times is The Highlander. Although I grew up enjoying the TV series and two or three of the movies, I recognize that it’s quite a mess of a franchise. Its continuity is severely riddled with inconsistencies,
and the movies – even those I had fun with – are bad. Still, its “immortal warriors who have walked
through history” premise is quite compelling, and it deserves to be expounded
by a solid franchise. However, although
there are rumors of it, I don’t think a reboot is happening anytime soon (and
if a reboot actually happens, there’s this uncomfortably likely chance that it’s
not going to be worthwhile).
That’s why The Old Guard immediately appealed to me. To me, it feels like the Highlander reboot that I’ve been waiting for.
The Old Guard actually does some fascinating spins on its own “immortal
warriors who have walked through history” premise. I like that these immortals have been
adapting with the times, actually making use of modern weapons and tactics, instead
of exclusively wielding swords like the immortals of Highlander. But at the same time,
they still include in their arsenal the ancient weapons that had been their
go-to weapons in the past. I also like
the uncertainty of how and when their immortality ends, as their bodies will simply
cease to regenerate and heal without warning one day. The psychic link between them is a nice touch,
too, giving rise to some intriguing and dark storytelling choices.
Furthermore, it makes competent
use of its premise to deliver some of the most exciting cinematic action sequences of
the year with its gratifyingly brutal violence, John Wick-esque choreography, and creative kills. The camera work in some parts could have been
done better, though. But all in all, I was satisfied by the
action. There were ample amount
of moments where it made me go, “Oooooh!”
The plot, on the other hand, is a mixed
bag. While it sufficiently keeps its
audience invested and presents some cool story ideas, it gets noticeably bogged
down by formulaic developments and dynamics.
It’s as if it had been kept from becoming into something more original
and noteworthy by studio interference (after all, the intention of turning this
into a franchise is pretty obvious) and/or playing-safe filmmaking. As a result, it feels like a generally dumb
and derivative action fantasy movie overall.
In the end, I derived enjoyment
from The Old Guard. And I will watch the sequel. Nevertheless, I hold some
disappointment. I believe it could have
ended up being something truly special and iconic if it had a smarter and
tighter script, richer mythology, and a stronger and bolder direction.
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