Not much really happens in The Old Guard 2. Released five years after the Netflix pandemic-era hit, the movie mostly spends its time reintroducing characters and mythology before shifting into setup mode for the next chapter—forgetting to offer a story or character development that’s worth watching on its own. Characters move between countries, exchange dialogue, and fight in scattered sequences that never register or matter. It’s the kind of streamer movie where things technically happen, but none of it sticks—a classic “nothing film.”
The sequel comes as part of Netflix’s ongoing (and mostly unsuccessful) attempt to build a real film franchise. Despite pumping out action titles like Red Notice, The Gray Man, and Rebel Moon, Netflix has yet to land anything with the staying power or cultural impact of a John Wick or Fast & Furious. The first Old Guard offered a rare shot at something lasting: strong cast, a rich world, and a loyal fanbase. But after production delays, a director change, and the 2023 Hollywood strikes, this sequel lands with far less urgency than Netflix likely hoped for.
That might’ve been fine for something as straightforward as Extraction, where the appeal is all about the action and the stakes are crystal clear. But The Old Guard has a more complex world, a bigger ensemble, and mythology that’s hard to remember five years later. The film tries to catch the audience up—characters literally say things like “May I remind you that you’re not immortal anymore?”—but much of the emotional weight depends on your memory of the first film’s arcs. And just as you’re starting to get reoriented, it ends again, teeing up yet another sequel with no release date. As a mid-trilogy chapter, it mostly spins its wheels—laying out new villains, adding more lore, and shifting characters around the board without doing much else.
For that kind of bridge movie to work, though, we’d have to care about what’s at stake—and be genuinely unsettled by the villain. But despite the inspired casting of Uma Thurman, her character never lands. Part of the issue is Thurman herself, who seems disengaged throughout, but the bigger problem is how convoluted and unconvincing her plan is. It’s hard to fear someone whose motives are murky and whose strategy raises more logistical questions than tension. When her final goal is finally explained, you can’t help but think there were surely easier ways for her to achieve it than all the trouble she went through. And for a movie that pits Charlize Theron against Kill Bill’s action star, it’s baffling how little actual fighting there is between them—completely missing the opportunity it had in front of it.
But more than the decent action, what truly made the first one stand out as a decent Netflix film was the bond between this centuries-old team of immortals. That dynamic is mostly sidelined here. The relationship between Andy and Nile is barely present. Joe and Nicky’s romance, very tender in the first film, gets bogged down in eye-rolling conflict. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character never justifies being there, and the new characters introduced barely do anything interesting. The only real arc that lands is Booker’s—played with a committed Matthias Schoenaerts—whose decisions in the final act give the movie its only emotional punch. Charlize Theron continues to show great presence and physicality in her performance as Andy, but the writing fails her—especially in scenes meant to carry emotional weight, like her reunion with Quỳnh. After being haunted by centuries of guilt, she delivers an “I’m sorry” like she showed up five minutes late for dinner. Not even the best actress in the world could make that work.
In the end, The Old Guard 2 doesn’t rekindle the spark of the first, nor does it build enough excitement for what’s next. It fails to re-invest us in these characters, never quite finds its villain’s menace, and offers a plot so generic it barely holds your attention. But worse than that, it simply feels like too much time has passed—and instead of building on the foundation, it just drags it. I doubt this will become the audience-favorite franchise Netflix originally envisioned.