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Movie Review: The Old Guard

Mike Tyrkus

Although it may be tempting to compare the latest action-adventure science-fiction film The Old Guard to something like, say Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), or even possibly Atomic Blonde (2017) – especially given that both of those films featured Charlize Theron, who also stars here – that would be unfair to every one of those films, given that those earlier works delivered more succinct and focused visions than the current film featuring Theron does, despite some fine work all around from cast and filmmakers alike.

Andy (Theron) leads a covert team of mercenaries that are apparently blessed (if that’s the appropriate word) with immortality and have been fighting to protect the mortal world for centuries. Of course, all of this is put in jeopardy when their latest mission exposes the team and puts them all in jeopardy. It’s then up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the most recent addition to the team, to rescue what is left of the team and keep their secret safe. The ragtag group is filled out with acceptable performances from the rest of the team including: Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Van Veronica Ngo, and Matthias Schoenaerts. Chiwetel Ejiofor also stars as a potential client that may know more about the group than he initially lets on.

Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne in “The Old Guard.” © Netflix

The Old Guard premieres on Netflix on July 10 and is based on the Image Comics graphic novel, written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Leonardo Fernandez. Rucka adapts his previous work into a serviceable action film. What he does particularly well here is build a relatively sturdy mythology on which the premise of the story is constructed and that should serve well in future installments of the series (should they come about). However, the film still tends to lean towards familiar tropes of the genre one or two times more than it probably should and coming in at nearly two hours makes for a bit of a slog in some parts.

Director Gina-Prince Bythewood (whose previous work includes Beyond the Lights [2014], The Secret Life of Bees [2008], and Love & Basketball [2000]) does a fine job of delivering a solid entry to the action film genre. But, again, everything seems to get a little stale at times and rely far too much on the conventions of the genre.

Although it works a little too hard to set up a franchise without concentrating on delivering a more effective and tightly constructed first installment, The Old Guard proves itself to be an entertaining enough to at least allow the possibility that another chapter to the saga wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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