After an excruciating five-year wait for another thrilling Old Guard sequel, Netflix finally released a new installment. I, for one, decided to eagerly rewatch the first sequel a few days ago because, truth be told, I was not sure if I had the intricate details of the movie clear in my head, or if I might have unintentionally muddled it up with another movie of a similar theme, Infinite.
The Old Guard, starring the commanding Charlize Theron, garnered a sizable fan base due to its distinctive plot and compelling structure. Viewers had no choice but to impatiently anticipate the next sequel, especially when it employed a masterful Marvel-esque cliffhanger at the end of the movie. This gripping cliffhanger presented the unexpected return of Quynh, meeting up with the banished Booker. At that point, you might think they would become a formidable duo against the rest of the ancient immortals.
Unraveling the Mysteries
The enigmatic introductory scene of The Old Guard 2 answered one of the most pressing questions the first sequel left us with: How did Quynh escape? The people who found her were remarkably unsurprised, which strongly suggests it was premeditated. This leads to a further, intriguing question: Who are they? Mortals or immortals?
The first scene vividly shows us that the rest of the immortals – Andy, Joe, Nicky, and Nile – are still actively engaged in perilous missions alongside the newly recruited, resourceful mortal, Copley. You will almost forget about Andy’s vulnerable mortality status until Copley gently reminds her about it, as she fights just as fiercely as when she was eternally immortal. Joe and Nicky still share an unbreakable, profound bond that transcends simple categorization. Nile, on her own, does quite well trying to protect Andy and being one of the strongest and freshest immortals on the determined team.
Expanding the Immortal World
Let me say I was not surprised that this sequel skillfully unearthed two different immortals. That needed to happen to significantly expand the plot. We were introduced to Tuah, who is more like the living anthology of all the immortals’ lives. Tuah tells Andy about the oldest living immortal, Discord, shattering Andy’s long-held belief that she was the oldest. Discord takes on the role of the selfish, ambitious immortal who wants all of their extraordinary powers for themselves.
Quynh catches up with Booker, the isolated exile, and gets him to deliver a critical message to Andy. We also discovered that Joe had been keeping close, watchful tabs on Booker during his exile. It somewhat looked like a betrayal, but the team had far bigger problems up their sleeves. Andy goes to meet Quynh, but Nile does not trust her to go alone, due to the fact that 500 tumultuous years might have transformed Quynh into an unpredictable, unknown immortal.
As Andy goes to meet Quynh, we are taken through different timelines that have happened on that same street throughout centuries, which was excellent, captivating cinematography. Andy still sees Quynh as the same woman who went missing 500 years ago. Quynh, on the other hand, feels deeply betrayed that Andy moved on without her and carries the heavy burden of an unbroken promise. She soon discovers that Andromache (Andy) is unwilling to leave her loyal pack and join her as the inseparable duo they were before.
A Clash of Ideals
In the midst of this, Nile sees Discord lurking around and cautiously follows her. Discord tells her that she wishes to utterly end the Immortals, and it is only if Nile, being the last immortal, joins forces with her that this is possible. At this point, we sense a familiar cliché of plots trying to unfold.
At the safe house, Tuah discovers that Nile has the unique ability to take an immortal’s power, but an immortal can bestow such power unwillingly to another person. Tuah tells Booker, and with his inherent inquisitiveness, it was obvious that Booker would do anything to end his burdensome immortality.
Quynh, in liaison with Discord, creates a catastrophic nuclear mess at an Indonesian nuclear plant, and this leaves Andy and her team almost no choice but to desperately clean up. At this point, it feels like Avengers: Infinity War, where the Marvel team walks into a battle with Thanos, knowing they might not win. They lose almost half the team and the world’s population, leaving the rest to strategically re-strategize a recovery.
At the end of The Old Guard 2, we have a fallen Booker who transfers his immortality to Andy, a captured Nile, Copley, Joe, Nicky, and Tuah, a mortalized Quynh who unexpectedly joins forces with her old friend, Andy, and Discord, who gets away with what she cunningly wants.
The Road Ahead
No doubt, The Old Guard 3 might take the shape of Avengers: Endgame, but one thing is for sure: Andy is getting her team out. Is she going to come out unscathed, or is she going to be like Iron Man, who sacrifices his life to win his battle with Thanos? Who knows? Although we might not get an answer to this until another agonizing five years later, or when Netflix deems fit to release another anticipated sequel.
A Disappointing Dive into Predictability
Although I had eagerly anticipated an expansive, groundbreaking plot after a lengthy five-year wait, the movie unfortunately took a very slippery slope into tired, popular movie clichés. With more than half of the team in grim body bags, we now desperately expect a more intriguing, innovative plot that deeply explores the complex dynamic between Andy and Quynh, at least for the first few crucial scenes of the next sequel.
