The Old Guard Review: Charlize Theron thrills as usual in this melancholic tale of badass immortals

The Old Guard

The Old Guard Cast: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli

The Old Guard Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

The Old Guard Stars: 3.5/5

There's that certain undeniable spunk in Charlize Theron that excites filmmakers to cast her as the edgy, outlaw-ish characters who go against the notion of a traditional woman character. Whether it be Mad Max: Fury Road or Atomic Blonde, seeing Ms. Theron be a fighter is always a thrill-seeking delight for movie aficionados. With The Old Guard, while the moxie spirit in Charlize's character seems to have diminished from her prior iconic roles, that's not taking away from the pure entertainment quotient, i.e. this Gina Prince-Bythewood directorial.

Based on Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández's comic book of the same name, The Old Guard sees Charlize as Andromache of Scythia aka Andy, who has been alive for way too many centuries then she would have liked. Finally reaching her breaking point, Andy chooses to separate herself from being a vigilante along with her squad of immortal outlaws; Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Andy's right-hand man, Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), the star-crossed lovers who met as enemies and fell in love over the process of killing each other several times. The latest addition to the team of anti-heroes is Nile (Kiki Layne), a young marine who gets her throat slit by a terrorist while in Afghanistan and is magically cured much to the puzzlement of her comrades.

Trouble brews for the team when they get caught in action during a trap set by CIA agent Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is secretly working for a Big Pharma CEO Merrick (Harry Melling), whose not as philanthropic as he seems, obviously! The storyline may seem like the usual stereotypical comic book adaptation where the bad guys want to attain the superpower of the immortal beings, but what sets The Old Guard apart in a sensitive manner is the attention given to the melancholic aspect in the lonely bunch of outcasts who have lived for far too long and lost too many. You see the old, deep wounds set on Andy as she condones herself for not being able to save her true love, Quynh (Veronica Ngo); who is also a motif to acknowledge that these mere immortals can in fact die. They just don't know when. On the other hand, through Nile, we see fresher wounds as she's thrust into this survival atmosphere, without having to say goodbye to her loved ones. The juxtaposition between these two strong female characters comes into fold towards the end in a poetic manner. Even Booker has his past haunting him with the loss of his family being the final nail in his coffin of loneliness.

Moreover, it was refreshing to see Joe and Nicky's love story being laid out with ease sans the glaring 'conspicuous' spotlight we see when it comes to LGBTQ onscreen couples. "And his kiss still thrills me, even after a millennia," Joe exclaims in a monologue that would make Shakespeare proud as Nicky aptly nicknames his love as an "incurable romantic" while the two proceed to share a kiss with black ops surrounding them watching in bewilderment. Many may see it as over the top, but this reviewer watched in awe.

As you would expect, Charlize Theron proves yet again why she's a rebellious actor who can't be imitated but can only be adored. Her command over her performance which demands to be noticed will always be a delight. Matching up to her is the breakout star, Kiki, who brings to life an infant immortal that comes face to face with loneliness for the first time. Matthias, Marwan and Luca are welcome additions who play their parts just right while Chiwetel and Harry play trope characters, we are done and dusted with.

What's a superhero film without its fair share of explosive action. The Old Guard celebrates its brutal brawn in equal weightage to its melancholy. The fight sequences at no point feel choreographed in spite of its detailed precision. It's specifically Charlize's character who does the heavy lifting and is ax-blazing. This time, the heroes... the anti-heroes actually get hit by bullets but again, they are immortal AF! There's the easy, tactical approach to the cinematography by Tami Reiker and Barry Ackroyd and editing by Terilyn A. Shropshire that lets the characters and their bodies do the talking, rather than the aesthetics. Even the VFX used to showcase the characters' ghastly bullet bruises healing feels realistic.

For me a movie's soundtrack has always been an essential component and right from the opening credits, listening to Born Alone Die Alone by Madalen Duke to breaking the surface with Godspeed by Frank Ocean, the eccentric musical choices were a plus for The Old Guard.

You would assume that the classic superhero films would be all brawn and less heart but that's where Prince-Bythewood steps in. We are used to Gina tackling romantic dramas like Love & Basketball and Beyond The Lights, and with The Old Guard, there's a vulnerability she brings forward with the detailed character sketches. Yes, Charlize Theron is still a badass immortal. This time, it's with a lot of soul. There are the obvious seeds being sown towards the end for a franchise kickstarter and it's something I wouldn't mind exploring as an audience.