We probably need to start talking more about Charlize Theron as one of the better action hero actors going today next to Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and others. Between her work in the somewhat underrated Atomic Blonde, Mad Max Fury Road, and now as the immortal warrior Andy in the new Netflix adventure The Old Guard, she’s carving out a great niche for herself in that department on top of the rest of her range.
Director Gina Price-Blythewood gives us a very gritty, graphically violent and intense, but still rather heartfelt spin on the usual superpowered tropes that also make the film feel like a spiritual successor to the Highlander films. Though this story lacks that series’ campier aspects, it still comes off like a tale with major, world-altering stakes. It does stick close to a few tropes you’d likely expect when involving immortal characters, but the story does a great job in making you empathize with them and their struggles quite easily.
Though Andy at this point, having endured centuries of blood and heartbreak seeking to right wrongs and help the defenseless, is hoping to finally quit. Alongside her teammates Nicky (Luca Marinelli), Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), and Nicky’s significant other Joe (Marwan Kenzari), she’s hoping that the mission she’s been assigned to in South Sudan by the mysterious ex-CIA Copley (a very compelling Chiwetel Ejiofor) will be their last. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be much fun for the audience if this didn’t spiral into a much deeper plot, which it does. Nile Freeman (Kiki Layne), a US marine and also the newest and youngest immortal they encounter, proves to be a massive help as they uncover a sinister conspiracy hunting them down.
Between the unique aesthetic (thanks in part to good cinematography from Barry Ackroyd and Tami Reiker, who provide some thrilling fight scenes) and the emotion in the interactions among the lead quintet, there’s plenty about Old Guard that makes it feel original. There’s a gravity and undercurrent of seriousness throughout the story, which is a unique aspect if the sometimes quippier and more joke-prone comic heroes on the big screen aren’t your thing (personally as a big MCU fan, I don’t mind that stuff, but this approach helps it stand out from its contemporaries).
The one thing I think it’s missing is a great, memorable villain. This is the area where I feel the movie could have leaned a little more into the outrageous- not necessarily a Loki-like comic foil, but something more the opposite of our heroes. Harry Melling has a decent air of elitism about him as Merrick, a corrupt CEO of a pharmaceutical company that wants to experiment on our protagonists. Their plan certainly fits logically into the mythos that’s been developed (and there are some nice flashbacks that help to expand the scope of this universe), but I would have preferred a bit more personality in that department.
Theron’s lead performance is especially great, and that helps to elevate the material a ton. Nothing over-the-top, rather that of a very strong and determined leader in spite of her problems, and she has an entertaining “older mentor vs. young gun” dynamic with Layne, who also has a lot of heart and passion on her end too. The chemistry between Nicky and Joe comes off especially strong, not simply because of the talent of the actors, but also in how unapologetically frank their love is depicted. Though there are a number of LGBTQ heroes planned for future debuts, this is something that already puts this movie more than a few steps ahead of many big studio comic book films.
Ultimately, The Old Guard is a fun option to pick if you’re up for a comic book thriller that’s both badass and intelligent, with some interesting franchise potential down the road (I say that without spoiling anything). You can expect a lot of reflective and thoughtful moments in between all of the blasts and fisticuffs, and they’re all very well crafted. And as always, if you’ve had the chance to check it out, let us know your thoughts at @Official_FAN on Twitter!