Who knew that our first comic-book movie since Birds of Prey, which was released in February, would’ve been a Netflix original in July?!! Yes, you read that right. ‘The Old Guard’ is based on a comic-book. Thanks to Covid-19, high-profile comic-book movies like Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984, Morbius and Venom 2 have been delayed, thus leaving us desperate for content that can satiate our hunger for super-heroics, especially in today’s world… Enter streaming services, our new overlords. As more and more movies get bumped off their release dates, Netflix and other streaming services like Disney+, Apple+, etc. have taken the initiative to provide us with much-needed entertainment in our lives. Earlier this year, Netflix’s original Chris Hemsworth-led action movie, Extraction, was a huge success (critically and ratings-wise) and a total blast!!

The Old Guard is about “an army” of 4 immortals who’ve been secretly helping people throughout history and subtly influencing world events in the process. However, when a seemingly normal rescue mission goes south and their identities and abilities are exposed, they’re forced to go on the run and defend their freedom against an affluent, pharmaceutical CEO who wants to extract their ‘gifts’ for profits. Further conflicting matters is the ‘discovery’ of a new and fifth member who’s just gained immortality.

Positives

Just like Extraction, The Old Guard’s biggest strength is with its action. Being very long-lived, these characters are immediately portrayed as a well-oiled, highly-trained machine who’ve had centuries to learn new fighting skills and hone their team-work (s)kills in the process. However, don’t let the immortality fool you into thinking that this movie has no stakes, as it very much does! These characters can/do feel pain and do momentarily die but thanks to their healing factor, their wounds slowly but surely regenerate.

Action aside, one aspect where ‘The Old Guard’ is better than your average action film is with its characterization and strong performances. Each and every one of the ‘immortal’ beings has a distinct personality and gets just enough character work to make us care about them. Charlize Theron, who plays Andy (the leader of the group) is fantastic, as she always is, and brings that warmth yet ‘badassery’ that she displayed in Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, etc. Because of centuries of fighting for what’s right but not seeing any direct results of hers actions, she’s become far more jaded and nihilistic. At one point, Andy even states that it is futile to try saving the world as it seems to only get worse everyday. However, she once again starts valuing life when she ‘discovers’ a young U.S. Marine named Nile, who just gained immortality. Speaking of, Nile’s character arc is empowering and especially touching as she’s conflicted on embracing the violence-driven aspect of the ‘Old Guard’ or to go back to her family and pretend that she isn’t “blessed” with immortality. Kiki Layne, who was phenomenal in If Beale Street Could Talk, manages to hold her own against Theron and ends up adding a whole new dimension to her character. The supporting cast of immortals, played excellently by Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, and Luca Marinelli, all get their fair share of fleshing out and have some of the more emotionally resonant and comedic scenes in the movie. Lastly, the ever-reliable Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a sympathetic yet flawed ‘antagonist’ and absolutely sells his character’s motivations, even if questionable.

If you’re one of those that isn’t fond of the action-heavy spectacles like the John Wick series or Extraction, fret not as this one also has a lot of mythology that is explored and and can most definitely be explored further in future installments. In addition, the immortality is treated more like a curse, similar to Logan. Because these characters can never die, until their abilities mysteriously vanish at some point as we are told, there is a sense of loneliness that comes with living forever. Some of the members even had families before, so seeing their loved ones die while they don’t is kinda — heartbreaking. Lastly, I have to give the filmmakers props for have a diverse, inclusive cast, without ever feeling like pandering to satisfy the modern ‘woke’ culture. 2 of the immortal characters are openly gay, but it was poignant and not stereotypical in the slightest.

Negatives

Even though the trailer promises an action-packed movie, this isn’t as action-heavy as some were potentially hoping for, which could end up disappointing certain genre fans. At times, the movie slows down considerably to give us the obligatory exposition scenes and could’ve easily shaved off 5-10 minutes from its runtime.

In addition, there are two significant twists in the movie. Even though the first one was revealed in the film’s marketing and trailers and pretty much drives the entire plot, the second twist is indeed quite predictable and doesn’t turn out to be as earth-shattering of a revelation as the filmmakers hoped it’d be. Also, there are some directorial choices, specifically playing music over some of the fight scenes, that felt incongruous with the movie’s dark tone. Lastly, the main villain is a cartoonish, one-dimensional villain and doesn’t have much motivations, beyond corporate profits.

Rating – Solid Recommendation

Overall, The Old Guard is a surprisingly thought-provoking film, with excellent performances and palpable chemistry among the cast members! The action is very well-shot, for the most part, and there is a lot of character development to leave me engaged, entertained, and invested throughout the runtime. Even though Extraction is more fun and exciting, The Old Guard has a better mix of action and emotion and is absolutely worthy of your time!

PS – There is a huge mid-credits scene, so stay “seated” till the end!!