The Old Guard — Review (★★☆☆☆)

Summary

'The Old Guard' on Netflix is a mediocre superhero movie with a bland story, unimpressive action, and a waste of potential from its lead actors, despite their decent performances.

Abstract

The recently released Netflix movie 'The Old Guard', starring Charlize Theron, is a superhero film that fails to impress due to its lackluster storytelling and uninspired action sequences. The film follows a group of immortal warriors with self-healing abilities, reminiscent of wolverine, as they struggle to maintain their anonymity in a world that seeks to exploit them. Despite the intriguing premise, the movie falls short in delivering the excitement and depth expected from the superhero genre. The protagonists' centuries-old wisdom and combat skills are barely explored, leaving the audience with a sense of missed opportunities. While Theron and co-star Kiki Layne offer commendable performances, they are not enough to compensate for the weak screenplay and lack of creativity in the film's execution. The movie's soundtrack also adds to the disappointment, failing to elevate the viewing experience. Despite a freshness rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is deemed by the reviewer to be an overpromised and underdelivered affair, suitable perhaps for a lazy afternoon but not memorable enough to leave a lasting impression.

Opinions

The storyline is considered bland and lacking in originality.
Action scenes are criticized for being lazy and failing to showcase the superheroes' capabilities.
The movie does not effectively portray the wisdom and knowledge that centuries-old characters should possess.
Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne's performances are seen as bright spots in an otherwise dull film.
The screenplay is viewed as a significant weakness, failing to fill the gaps left by the lack of action and depth.
The soundtrack is deemed disappointing and not impactful.
The reviewer disagrees with the high freshness rating from Rotten Tomatoes, believing the movie does not live up to its promise.
The film is considered a missed opportunity to explore the practical aspects of superhero lives.

The just-released Charlize Theron Netflix movie is a decent watch but lacks freshness. It is about a team of wolverine-like superheroes fighting against becoming guinea pigs.

‘The old guard’ is a mild superhero movie throwing light on some of the more practical aspects of their lives. It is a story of a team of wolverine-like men and women who can almost instantly heal their wounds and live for centuries. The origin of their power remains a mystery to them. The story is about their survival as the world discovers them and tries to exploit them.

courtesy: Wikipedia & Gage Skidmore

The story is rather bland and action sequences are lazy. In fact, one never gets a feeling that it is a superhero movie as the protagonists never display their capabilities. More creative writing could have saved the day. It will also fail to satisfy action junkies as there is hardly anything new in the stunts. There is a dialogue which says that the lead has forgotten more ways to kill than an army can learn. It would have been good if it had been shown visually.

When you live for centuries, you are expected to acquire wisdom and immense knowledge. The story fails to depict any of that. There is a part of the story where the achievements of some of the longest surviving members are depicted — would have been better if it was actually shown on the screen instead of some news clippings.

Both Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne are bright spots in this dull affair. Both have put in a decent effort to leave an impact on screen, but the huge gap created by the lack of a good screenplay could not be filled. It is refreshing to see the movie led by the female on and off the screen. Cinematography is above average.

The soundtrack is another disappointment. A piece of good background music could have lifted the movie but it is as bland as its screenplay.

Though rotten tomatoes have given it an 80% freshness rating, I beg to differ with that. The movie promises more and delivers less. It is just a decent watch on a sleepy afternoon. Nothing much to remember after you spend almost 2 hours on this flick.

The following is the viewership on the illegal BitTorrent network of this movie across different countries.

Check this article to find out how this plot was created.

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Movie Review ★★☆☆☆

The Old Guard — A Decent TV Show, Bad Movie

The just-released Charlize Theron Netflix movie is a decent watch but lacks freshness. It is about a team of wolverine-like superheroes fighting against becoming guinea pigs.

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