The Old Guard Review – Meandering Immortals

I doubt it would surprise many that The Old Guard was based on a comic book by Greg Rucka, especially since he penned the screenplay as well. It’s a film that has that look and feel of a mid-2000s comic book trying to be slick and less comic-booky, with all the pepperings for franchise material. Though this assembly does occasionally kick such a film into mindless popcorn picture pitfalls, it more often than not delivers on being a pleasing enough action picture considering Charlize Theron always brings her A-game to fight sequences.

Forever Young

The film starts with a very unique premise. We’re introduced to a band of immortals that have lived for centuries, struggling to find their place in the world. Their immortality is interesting in that they don’t heal so quickly. They can push out bullets after being riddled by them, but it takes a while. For a moment, they seem dead, but the wounds slowly heal amid aches and grunts. Adding some urgency, there’s the knowledge that their reanimation is limited. The next “death” could be their last.

Andy (Charlize Theron) is the leader of the group given that she is the oldest. She leads her cohorts of the gruff Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a couple of Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli). She seeks a purpose in trying to use their power for good but hasn’t found it yet. They’ve endured a lot and find a reason to try to help humanity when it seems so doomed.

The New Blood

Rather than squaring in on Andy’s despair about using her centuries-old life for bettering the world, the film instead shifts to predictable developments. Her group encounters CIA agent James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who seeks to capture and trap them, intrigued by their abilities. He’s working for the pharma CEO Seven Merrick (Harry Melling), a cartoonish stereotype of the greed businessman. His drive starts about trying to use these immortal powers to cure incurable diseases, soon morphing predictably into the egomaniac who wants to control lives.

And there’s a new immortal on the block. US Marine Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne) discovers during her tour in Afghanistan that she can survive a knife to the face. The rest of the immortals are made aware of her existence by apparently experiencing her first “death.” So between inducting the latest to their ranks and trying to evade an evil corporate boss, the plate is so full for the immortals that purpose seems almost secondary.

Plenty of Time to Die

Rucka’s script spends perhaps too much time trying to divulge all the history and mechanics behind the immortals. We learn of their histories being tortured for being witches and being used as pawns on the battlefield. But all this information is told to us from characters who sit around getting Nile updated.

Just about everything of the immortals feels pieced out in dialogue that does them no favors. This is especially disappointing with Joe and Ricky that have a romance that never feels fully realized. In one instance, they’re both kidnapped and one of the attackers jokes that they’re boyfriends. Rather than say they are with a piercing passion, one of them goes off in a dramatic declaration of their love to be capped with a kiss. There’s a whole intriguing story within them about their bond over the years which is not explored in this film.

Brutal Bouts

Where The Old Guard shines best is no doubt the action sequences. Since the immortals can take a few more beatings before requiring a moment of reanimation, they get involved in plenty of thrilling sequences. Guns blazes and knives stab as they lay waste to rooms of soldiers, later scaling a skyscraper with great grit.

One of the highlights has Andy kidnapping Nile in a cargo plane where they fight each other. It’s an exceptionally bruise-inducing showcase of flips, kicks, and tough punches, where Theron and Layne give a grand display of action choreography at its finest. This creative scene, sadly, is only in the first act, as the climax turns into a standard running and gunning blitz for the bad guy.

Conclusion: The Old Guard

There’s plenty of material within The Old Guard to go onto a sequel that it’s maddening so little of it feels explored here. The characters have chemistry even if they’re locked in a script that has them mostly spouting exposition. The action is exciting even if it peaks too early. The very idea of the immortals holds a lot to explore, but little of that get through a routine evil conglomerate plot.

In the final fight sequence of the film, Harry Melling runs around his penthouse trying to defend himself with a giant ax, a weapon of Andy, and the film’s icon. It will not be used for its intended purpose during the finale. Just another frustrating detail in an action picture with so much potential so little a script to let it burst forth. Maybe the sequel will find more.

What did you think of The Old Guard? Does it have sequel potential? How does it compare to the other comic book movie of Bloodshot? Let us know in the comments below.