The Old Guard Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs
An intriguing if messy Netflix superhero flick.
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...