IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 15, YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

By: Keaton Marcus

Where have you been hiding these films, Netflix?

The streaming giant has bestowed upon us today a little quality action during the quarantine. They've hired the badass of all actresses, Charlize Theron, to head this straight-to-streaming, comic-book based franchise starter. And it's damn good. From the surprisingly character-driven story to the knockout action sequences, this is a total success. It's filled with rock-solid performances, over-the-top fun, and gloriously choreographed violence. This is above the average genre movie, with enough twists, turns, and smarts to set a new high standard for these types of films. It's also got a ruthlessly good fast-paced plot that supercharges its likable characters and infinitely entertaining storytelling. There's a few nitpicks in there, obviously, but any flaws are mostly drowned out by the immense fun you're going to have while watching this film. Theron has pretty much marked herself as a venerable action heroine, and it truly shows here. It shines.

Based on the popular comic-book series, The Old Guard is about a team of four immortal super soldiers named Andy (Theron), Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli). Although they were born at different periods, they live forever, literally. When they come across a potential new recruit named Nile (Kiki Layne), they must work together to fight against Dr. Merrick (Harry Melling) and CIA agent Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who want to monetize and take control of their abilities. It's also a very sophisticated take on the superhero genre, not relying too much on cartoonish characters, and having just the right amount of silly fun to balance it out. A job well done, director Gina Prince-Bythewood.

Charlize Theron has seldom had a bad performance, starring recently in Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and Bombshell. All three outings were heavily praised, and the latter even got her a Best Actress Oscar nomination last year. She's proven herself as both a capable action star and a truly magnetic actress overall. Heck, she even got a role in the F&F franchise with The Fate of the Furious. But her performance in this flick is more than her typical role. You can feel the agony of her character having to live forever, and it’s painful but beautiful to watch. Newcomer Kiki Layne, known for If Beale Street Could Talk, rises magnificently to the challenge of becoming the next ass-kicker to the team. She’s incredible in the action sequences, and there’s no shortage of entertainment watching her and Theron completely tear some thugs apart.

Gina Prince-Bythewood, the chief among the movie's assets, does a wonderful job of bringing honesty and intimacy into the usually tongue-in-cheek genre. It is not just the gorgeously-filmed action scenes or the sly humor that elevates the movie, but it's the realism in the romance and the massive amount of smarts that truly make it worth seeing. This female-driven thriller goes above-and-beyond because it ends a more mature vision. The whole set-up and origins of the characters are all well-done too, and those scenes are the greatest moments in the 120-minute film. All the hints to a sequel, especially a powerhouse post-credit scene are also particularly strong. The showcase of character-building, the pain of what it would be like to live forever, and strong amount of diversity (actors of color, LGBTQ+ characters, strong female roles) make it worth watching.

The final opinion is: Though flawed, The Old Guard is a more contemplative, mature take on the superhero genre that features dazzling action scenes led by Charlize Theron and kickstarts a potential franchise...$PLURGE IT

WATCH ON NETFLIX

Rated: R (for sequences of graphic violence, and language)

Genre: Action/Adventure

Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes

Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood