Reviews are now out for Netflix’s Charlize Theron-led action sequel “The Old Guard 2”, and so far they’re not exactly singing the film’s praises.
With 37 reviews counted, the film sits at just 30% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and is hovering at 45% with audiences. On Metacritic it is only slightly better, with critics giving it a 46/100 and audiences of 49.
That’s a far cry from the original film which landed an 80% on RT, and a 70 on MC. Common criticisms are that this is just a bland generic entry, with all the interesting elements of the first film shaved off.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“These above average, slightly forgettable movies may not live forever, but Theron’s badassery might.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“Theron leads the film with her trademark, go-for-broke intensity, and she has incredible chemistry with everyone — but a weak villain with flimsy motivation keeps this triumphant return from sticking its landing.” – Lyle Scott, Inverse
“The insuperable movie-killing problems here run the gamut from technical — horrible lighting, terrible echoey sound, utterly rubbish fight choreography — to fundamental storytelling flaw.” – Kevin Maher, The Times
“The Old Guard 2 is still a relatively enjoyable watch, particularly for those who fell in love with these characters in the first film. But with how little it wraps up its themes and arcs, it’s hard to recommend it as a standalone story.” – Caroline Siede, AV Club
“The film, directed by Victoria Mahoney, is a sure-footed romp that tightens the screws, most immediately by flexing a bigger cast and broadening the lore of the original comic book series.” – Brandon Yu, The New York Times
“While it should, in an era of increasingly bloated runtimes, be a boon to have it all wrapped up in under 97 minutes, The Old Guard 2 is a panicked rush to wrap things up, poorly developed and confusingly plotted, a swift and savage franchise-killer” – Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
“There’s a debilitating cheapness that keeps this picture from reaching its true potential” – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
“Even the least violent passages of this follow-up are a tedious drag, courtesy of a story that asks nothing of its lead Charlize Theron and her underwhelming co-stars except endless, enervating moping.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
The film begins with Booker still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison. Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years.
Andy, Nile, Joe, Nicky and James Copley enlist the help of Tuah, an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence. Co-starring with Theron are KiKi Layne as Nile, Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker, Veronica Ngo as Quynh, Marwan Kenzari as Joe, Luca Marinelli as Nicky and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley.
Uma Thurman and Henry Golding also join the action this time out. Victoria Mahoney directs from a screenplay written by Greg Rucka and Sarah L. Walker, and the film is now available on the streamer.
