A Worthy Sequel
Summary
The Old Guard 2 has some pacing issues, but I liked the character development as they all have their own torments to go through. There are some thrilling swordfights, but it’s frustrating that nothing is really resolved leaving it all open for a third entry. Let’s hope it’s not another 5 years before we see that.
Plot: Andy leads immortal warriors against a powerful enemy threatening their group. They grapple with the resurfacing of a long-lost immortal, complicating their mission to safeguard humanity.
Review: The Old Guard 2 starts off 6 months after the events of the first film so if for some reason you haven’t watched that then read no further.
As we saw from the end of The Old Guard, Quynh (Veronica Ngo) is back after a fate worse than death and she is angry that Andy (Charlize Theron) gave up looking for her. She joins forces with the mysterious Discord (Uma Thurman) who has her own plans for Andy and her comrades.
I rewatched the first film a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it the second time around; it’s well paced with plenty of action and Charlize has long since proven her action chops with the likes of Fury Road and Atomic Blonde.
The Old Guard 2 expands on the characters with everyone getting their time to shine with Henry Golding a welcome addition to the cast as Tuah. We find out a lot more about Nile (KiKi Lane) who has great powers that could possibly change the world.
After an action-packed opening sequence the pacing does slow for The Old Guard 2 and it takes a while for anything exciting to happen however, I have grown fond of the characters and I enjoyed finding our more about them. It’s good that Veronica Ngo gets more time on screen here as the wronged Quynh even if her arc is a little predictable.
This is going for The Empire Strikes Back vibe with nothing really resolved by the end and keeping it all open for the inevitable third entry which I’ll be there for as I like this world and its characters.
On the action front we get several impressive sword fights with an awesome showdown between Discord and Andy and an assault on a nuclear facility the major highlights. I also like the training scene between Nile, Booker and Tuah.
There are some cool tunes used in the movie mixed in with the score giving the action more personality.
Overall, The Old Guard 2 has some impressive action scenes and I liked getting to know each of the characters more; they all have their own personal torment to endure and I look forward to seeing what happens for Part 3. There are some pacing issues at times, but this is still an entertaining ride with Henry Golding my favourite new addition to the cast.