The Old Guard (2020)

Could it be? Is there finally a Netflix original that completely engrossed me from start to finish?

Yes!

The Old Guard is a fun, if flawed, watch.

Based off the comic book series of the same name, The Old Guard is about a group of immortal mercenaries led by Andy (Charlize Theron). For hundreds of years, they’ve fought in wars, killed terrorists, and helped humanity in other ways. However, being immortal comes with a heavy price.

While this premise is not groundbreaking, the film makes up for it with great action, interesting characters, and a neat premise. At first, I was skeptical of the stakes. If they’re all immortal and unable to die, how high could the stakes really be? But surprisingly, there are high stakes. While the mercenaries want to help people, they have to hide their strange abilities so they’re not exploited for it. Thus, the group has to stay in hiding so no one realizes they’re essentially Wolverine of the X-Men. Capture means becoming a living weapon devoid of autonomy.

I haven’t read the comics so I can’t say how faithful this film is, but it definitely got me intrigued in the series. Again, the plot isn’t groundbreaking, nor does it have many surprises. It’s actually a tad predictable, but the film is engaging nonetheless. The dialogue can come off cheesy, and the music during the fight scenes can be jarring.

As far as diversity goes, there’s solid representation. Andy is a strong female lead and kicks major butt even among immortal mercenaries. She sometimes fights with an ancient axe and it’s awesome. We also got Nile (Kiki Layne) a POC solider. She’s the latest to become immortal, and has some solid character growth. Two other main characters, Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) are a gay couple, which is unique to see in an action film, rounding out our immortal mercenaries. Though, I admit that one scene between them is corny, but other than that, they have nice interactions.

Actually, all the characters have nice interactions. You get the sense that the team of mercenaries have worked together for a long time, and there’s decent down time between them. The film isn’t constant violence, it takes breaks to show character development. Though, not all the characters are solid. I found the main antagonist, Merrick (Harry Melling) very underwhelming. He reminds me of Lex Luthor from Batman v Superman and that’s not exactly a comparison to be proud of.

Overall, The Old Guard is an entertaining film that’ll leave you wanting more. Fortunately, the film heavily hints at a sequel so fingers crossed that Netflix green lights it. The Old Guard certainly has its flaws, with the dialogue being its weakest point, but the plot and action scenes definitely makes up for it. I look forward to its sequel and might even check out the comic book series.