The Old Guard 2

Directed by Victoria Mahoney, The Old Guard 2 follows Charlize Theron’s Andy as she and her fellow immortal warriors find themselves under attack by a mysterious figure named Discord (Uma Thurman). Filmmaker Mahoney, armed with a script by Greg Rucka and Sarah L. Walker, delivers a progressively underwhelming sequel that fares best within its unexceptional yet watchable opening stretch, as the picture kicks off with a promising action set-piece that seems to be laying the groundwork for a far more propulsive endeavor than the lackluster original endeavor. From there, however, The Old Guard 2 segues into a bizarrely (and palpably) wheel-spinning narrative in which nothing of any real interest or importance occurs – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by often impossibly tiresome subplots and a uniform selection of lackluster, one-dimensional characters. By the time the laughably open-ended conclusion rolls around, The Old Guard 2 has firmly cemented its place as a needless followup that barely even feels like a full, coherent production (ie it’s as if parts 2 and 3 started out as one streamlined picture and were artlessly chopped in half).

** out of ****