Charlize Theron and her group of butt-kicking immortals return in a Netflix sequel that’s loaded with star power but severely uneven in its execution. The Old Guard 2 builds on its predecessor’s ancient mythological lore and packs a punch with slick fight choreography and big-budget action scenes in exotic locales. But all that eye candy struggles to overcome a poorly developed and predictable narrative loaded with plot inconsistencies and a surprisingly underwhelming villain. Uma Thurman adds headline heft, but is strangely absent and not nearly as mysterious as the script demands. This results in a film that strains for mediocrity when there was meat on the bone for a far more substantive experience.
The story picks up several months after the events of the first film. A now-mortal Andy (Theron) leads Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) towards a palatial Croatian villa on the Adriatic Sea. Nile (KiKi Layne) surveys their incursion from a circling speedboat. They’re on a CIA mission to capture an arms dealer and recover his weapons cache. Andy and Copley are careful to avoid injury as their attacking compatriots lose body parts that quickly reattach.
Immortal Reckonings
2.5
/5
- Release Date
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July 1, 2025
- Runtime
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104 minutes
- Director
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Victoria Mahoney
- Writers
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Greg Rucka
Meanwhile, in Paris, an exiled and drunk Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) is stunned to find Quỳnh (Veronica Ngô) waiting in his ratty apartment, having escaped her hellish 500-year imprisonment in an iron maiden at the bottom of the ocean. A quick flashback shows Quỳnh’s tomb being raised by a boat and cracked open in front of her brooding benefactor, Discord (Thurman).
Back in Croatia, Andy and the gang achieve their weapons objective without serious injury. They soon discover that their primary target wasn’t the master of puppets as expected. Copley recovers CCTV footage of a blonde woman orchestrating the arms deal. Nile gasps with recognition; she’s seen this woman before, in a violent recurring dream. Nile leaves with Andy to find another immortal (Henry Golding), who may have a clue about their unknown adversary.
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It’s a battle 500 years in the making.
Andy doesn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce the villain’s identity. Returning screenwriter Greg Rucka, co-creator of The Old Guard graphic novels, and co-writer Sarah L. Walker spend little time crafting believable exposition for what should have been an elaborate mystery. In negligible screen time, every dot is connected by chance. This happens repeatedly throughout, limiting the space between action scenes. One instance is so egregious, it’s almost comical when the ensemble has a collective “a-ha” moment – a significant flaw that subtracts gravitas from the film’s emotional core.
Quỳnh’s hatred and anger towards Andy makes sense. They were inseparable besties for 1,500 years, until humanity’s cruelty doomed her to an awful fate. Learning that Andy didn’t suffer the same grotesque torture rightly sparks indignant thoughts of betrayal in Quỳnh. Why did Andy give up on finding her? How could she have moved on knowing the agony Quỳnh faced as she was repeatedly drowned? Their pivotal reunion scene should be devastating and emotional. What we get instead is truly a letdown considering the history between these characters and the magnitude of Quỳnh’s suffering.
Not Enough Uma Thurman
The Old Guard 2 fails to capitalize on dramatic interactions worth exploring further due to the nature of immortality. This group has chosen to follow Andy and embrace her values for eons; a conversation between lovers Joe and Nicky speaks to the strength of this unbreakable bond. Even Booker’s treachery is shrugged off because everyone has spent so much damn time together. The script’s big reveal – and the focus of the film’s primary arc – is the explanation of how Andy became mortal. This plot earthquake, much like the initial Quỳnh showdown, is inexplicably handled with a light and breezy touch given the contextual depth of their relationships.
Thurman feels like a Ferrari left in the garage when she should have been front and center from the start. Rucka and director Victoria Mahoney (Yelling to the Sky), who took over from The Old Guard director Gina Prince-Bythewood, have reason to hold Thurman back, but once the complete narrative comes into view, it doesn’t feel justified. Thurman, a screen titan with an incredible presence, is pretty much wasted here. Her villain is supposed to be supremely formidable, but we just get brief snippets of her character; by the time she fully enters the picture, it’s too late to care. The aftermath of Discord freeing Quỳnh, and their time together, is another missed opportunity.
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Those only interested in a decent action flick won’t be disappointed. Theron remains in beast mode, shredding baddies despite losing her regenerative powers. Andy hasn’t lost a step, and she isn’t fearful of death. She just straps on a bulletproof vest and the carnage continues unabated. Mahoney also delivers dynamite vehicle chases and stunts, with lifeless bodies flung like rag dolls in epic collisions. That said, some will find the climax divisive and underwhelming. They may not tune in for the Old Guard’s further adventures.
The Old Guard 2 is a production of Skydance Media, Denver and Delilah Productions, and Marc Evans Productions. It premieres June 2 exclusively on Netflix. You can watch it here.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
