The Old Guard 2 – A Rushed Return That Fails to Reignite the Fire
Hey everyone, let’s talk about The Old Guard 2 , which has finally hit Netflix after years of delays and, well, a pretty rocky journey. Now, if you remember the first Old Guard back in 2020, it was one of those rare Netflix action flicks that actually felt like it had some soul. Released during peak pandemic lockdown, it gave us Charlize Theron in full action-star mode, globe-trotting battles, a solid team dynamic, and—surprisingly—a bit of heart. It wasn’t perfect, but it was memorable. And with that success, a sequel seemed obvious. But here we are, five years later, and what we got is... kind of a mess.
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First off, The Old Guard 2 feels like it has no idea what made the first one click. It jumps back in without much grace, assuming we all remember every detail from half a decade ago—which, let's be honest, we don’t. So much so, Netflix had to get the cast to recap the first movie just to help audiences catch up. That's not a good sign.
Charlize Theron returns as Andy, the once-immortal warrior who became mortal in the last film, which should raise the stakes this time around. But instead of exploring that vulnerability, the film kind of glosses over it. We’re thrown into a new threat involving an old ally and a villain played by Uma Thurman, who—frustratingly—is barely used. There’s no depth, no tension, and definitely no time to breathe. With a runtime under 97 minutes, everything feels rushed, undercooked, and weirdly incomplete.
The biggest letdown, though, is how the sequel strips away the boldness that made the first film stand out. The LGBTQ+ representation, which was one of the most refreshing parts of the original, is now so muted it’s almost invisible. It’s like the film forgot who its characters were supposed to be. The queer intimacy between Joe and Nicky is reduced to a head touch. And the once-subtle but meaningful relationship hints between Andy and her former partner are now written like they’re just really close “companions.” It’s a real step backward.
Director Victoria Mahoney steps in for Gina Prince-Bythewood, but the action sequences don’t carry the same punch or visual style. It feels flat, and even Theron—who's giving it her all—can’t salvage the film from its own lack of direction.
And then there’s the ending. Oh boy. Imagine a film spending the whole time building up to something and then... just stopping. Not a cliffhanger in the fun, “can’t-wait-for-the-next-one” way—but in the “wait, that’s it?” kind of way. There’s no official word on a third film, and if this is where the story ends, it’s a pretty brutal note to leave things on.
In the end, The Old Guard 2 is a frustrating sequel that seems to forget everything that made its predecessor work. It’s not just a weak follow-up—it’s an unfinished one. And in today’s content-saturated streaming world, if you’re going to bring a franchise back after five years, you better make it count. Sadly, this one doesn’t.
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