This movie picks up right where we left off, with Quynh’s freedom from that literal nightmare of an iron maiden. I’ve been waiting to see what she’d do since that mid-credit tease in the first film, and honestly, I’m surprised since I didn’t expect this story to go that way. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum but some might slip out. Quynh is obviously pissed and I get her rage. I’d be plotting my revenge too after centuries locked away in a never ending loop of drownings. What confused me, though, is why she’s only mad at Andy. She didn’t get free because the Iron Maiden rusted, she was freed, why is she not asking questions?

Our band of mostly immortals are doing their thing, working with Copley on missions best suited for their skills and sensibilities, unaware that there’s a looming threat of their heads. Charlize Theron’s Andy is still a total force, there’s a kind of lived-in weariness to her performance that sells the immortal angle beautifully. You can tell she’s been doing this a long time (not talking about the actrice in action movies like Atomic Blonde but her character in this movie). Kiki Layne’s Nile still brings fresh energy, she’s given some extra humph here that I’m not really sure where they’re going with that, except to change the very thing they did to add more stakes to the first movie and that thing can be a slippery slope.

The action scenes are still quite immaculate. These fights are choreographed with soul: slick, brutal, and stylish. They remind me of the elegance from movies like John Wick (without emulating it) or even the gritty fantasy of The Witcher, where Luca Marinelli would honestly fit right in.

One of my favorite scenes was a memory lane moment, where the past blended with the present similar to but not as sleek as in Sinners. But a kind of emotionally grounded montage that reminds you how much history these warriors carry with them. That mix of trauma, love, loss, and grit is something The Old Guard has always done well.

But here’s the thing: this movie spent a lot more time on expanding the lore and adding new characters (hello Uma Thurman and Henry Golding!) than focusing on the OG crew. I mean, Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky? Criminally underused, they have a moment but should have gotten more for the sequel. Booker? There and gone. I don’t mind new blood, but if you’re building a trilogy, don’t sideline the folks who made the first movie such a hit.

And that ending?? Oh, the nerve. They really dropped a cliffhanger like Netflix is not in the habit of just dropping projects. We’ve been waiting five years for this entry, how long are we gonna wait for the next one ? If it even happens. I wouldn’t have minded if this movie had run 30 minutes longer to wrap things up a bit more satisfyingly. Instead, we’re left hanging.

Still, I had a good time. It’s a good-looking, action-packed sequel with potential, and I’m curious enough now to actually read the full comic run by Greg Rucka (who also wrote the script, yet some choices still feels wild to me). Just… please, Netflix, don’t make us wait forever for part 3.

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