Review by James Lindorf and interview is below it
On July 10th, Netflix will answer the question that has been on everyone’s mind for years: what if the A-Team was a group of Highlanders? If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal mercenaries. Andromache the Scythian (Andy for short) is a millennia-old warrior weary from fighting the good fight in a world still plagued by hate and violence. Andy’s team consists of Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), the new guy, who fought with Napoleon in the early 1800s. Then there is Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), a gay couple who’ve been in love since fighting on opposite sides during the Crusades. When the team takes a last-minute mission to rescue 17 kidnapped school children, their extraordinary abilities are caught on camera. Their only option is to go into hiding and plan their next move. It is up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the first new immortal in 200 years, to neutralize the threat that seeks to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. “The Old Guard” is based on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name by Eisner Award-winning writer Greg Rucka. Rucka returned to write the screenplay for the “Love & Basketball” director Gina Prince-Bythewood.
In a bit of art-imitates-life, Charlize is headlining her third major action film in five years while her costar Kiki Layne appears in just her 4th feature film. Also new to the world of big-budget action films is director Prince-Bythewood. She is better known for her character-driven dramas. Thanks to “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Atomic Blonde,” everyone knows that Charlize is more than capable of adding depth to her butt-kicking action roles. Kiki made her debut just two years ago as Tish in Barry Jenkins’ powerful “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and holds her own here. She refused to be outshined by the Oscar winner or the rest of the dynamic cast.
Fans searching for an action-packed, adrenaline-fueled movie like recent Netflix hits “6 Underground” or “Extraction” may be turned off by the depth of “The Old Guard.” Prince-Bythewood did not shy away from bringing what made her earlier films special to this project. “The Old Guard” is a bleak look at the emotional strain of being immortal, built around beautifully choreographed action scenes. The team flows and works together seamlessly, born of complete trust and centuries of experience. They have had the time to become proficient with every kind of weapon and hand to hand combat which adds variety to the action. I would have loved to see some John Wick inspired book or pencil kills, but knives, swords, axes, and guns are more than enough.
Nile, who just died for the first time, struggles with the why and how of it all, but the hardest thought of all is of leaving her family behind. During a quiet moment between her and Booker, you can see what Nile could become if she continues to cling to the mortal tethers to her old life. Booker has suffered for multiple lifetimes after watching everyone he loved grow old and die. Adding to the dark atmosphere is Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Copley, a former CIA agent who once collaborated with the team, and current distraught widower. His wife’s recent death from a horrible disease has left the wounded man obsessed with life and death.
“The Old Guard” could be edited down from its current 124-minute runtime into a fun, but dark, 90-minute action extravaganza. Whether the order came from Skydance, Netflix, or Rucka’s script, it is painfully clear that someone wants this to become a series. Unfortunately, the plan for a sequel(s) is the most prominent weight pulling “The Old Guard” down. “Die Hard” the greatest action movie ever is 132 minutes long, so the length is a non-issue. The trouble comes from the downhearted tone not being directly buoyed by exciting battles. Instead, the action is too frequently delayed to make room for ideas and characters that won’t make an impact until at least the second film. These inclusions add unnecessary length to the movie while providing no benefit. With this all-star cast, great direction, beautiful cinematography, and a score that expertly switches between explosive and insightful, fans would have demanded more. Now, there is some doubt if the film will generate the buzz required for the streaming giant to help finance a second installment. Sequel or no “The Old Guard” is one of the best Netflix Original action films they’ve ever released, with the potential to leave the rest lost to time.
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