The Old Guard Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

An intriguing if messy Netflix superhero flick.

The Old Guard Charlize Theron
Netflix

Netflix's quest to bring blockbuster-caliber thrills to their streaming platform continues with the release of The Old Guard, their Charlize Theron-starring adaptation of Greg Rucka's comic book of the same name.

Theron stars as Andy, the leader of an elite group of mercenaries who are actually centuries-old immortals capable of recovering from practically any injury dealt to them. They're superheroes, basically.

As Andy and her squad connect with a young new immortal in their midst, Nile (KiKi Layne), they find themselves fighting for their freedom against a corporation with designs on their abilities.

Like most of the streamer's blockbuster-sized movies to date, The Old Guard is a mixed bag of entertaining performances, enticing action, and underwhelming writing, resulting in a watchable tentpole that's just not quite good enough to be truly memorable.

In these tough times it'll certainly provide adequate popcorn-gobbling comfort, even if a more unique spin on this material surely would've been possible with just a few screenplay tweaks...

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.