old guard 2: A Franchise in Jeopardy"
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The Old Guard 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2017 Netflix film, was met with brutal reviews from critics and audiences alike. The disappointment was palpable, and it left the prospect of an ongoing franchise in a significantly weakened position. But how did it come to this, and what went wrong?
A Strong Start
The Old Guard got off to a strong start. The source material, written by Greg Rucka, was well-regarded, and the cast, which included Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor, were seasoned veterans with multiple award-winning movies under their belts. The film’s director, gina prince-bythewood, had previously made acclaimed independent films like Love & Basketball, and her vision brought a sense of authenticity and drama to the film.
- Effortless worldbuilding
- Dynamic combat sequences
- Meaningful stakes
- Solid pacing
These elements combined to make The Old Guard a compelling and engaging film that resonated with audiences. It was a straight-to-streaming movie with good word-of-mouth during a quarantine, which helped to further boost its popularity.
A Misstep
However, The Old Guard 2 took a significant misstep. The production was plagued by delays, including the COVID-19 pandemic and SAG-AFTRA strike shutdowns. The film also had a director change, with Victoria Mahoney taking over from Gina Prince-Bythewood. This change in leadership likely had a significant impact on the film’s tone and overall quality.
| Challenge | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Delays due to COVID-19 and SAG-AFTRA strike | Disrupted filming schedule and increased costs |
| Director change from Gina Prince-Bythewood to Victoria Mahoney | Altered tone and overall quality of the film |
The swapped directorship had a significant impact on the film’s tone and overall quality. The Old Guard 2 felt tedious and untethered, with a tone that swung wildly from serious to goofy. The fight scenes were also poorly choreographed, and the plot didn’t stay on the rails.
A Complicated Storyline
The Old Guard 2’s storyline was also a major misstep. Instead of focusing on the relationship between Andy and Nile, the film focused on the history between Andy and Quynh. This implied lovers-to-enemies storyline could have worked, but it fell flat in the film. The supposed passion between Andy and Quynh played better as a flashback in the first film, and it was awkward to see it reimagined in The Old Guard 2. In addition to this, the film dropped some balls while juggling poorly-told new revelations about how immortality works. The introduction of a new character, Discord, played by Uma Thurman, was also unnecessary and subtracted from Quynh’s agency and purpose.
A Missed Opportunity
The introduction of Discord was a missed opportunity. Thurman, of Kill Bill fame, would have been a great fit for the role, but Discord was an empty shell of a villain. Her extraneous addition to the story subtracted from Quynh’s agency and purpose, and it was hard to tell whether Discord was a wasted opportunity or a bad idea in the first place. In conclusion, The Old Guard 2 was a significant misstep for the franchise. The production was plagued by delays, the director change had a significant impact on the film’s tone and overall quality, and the storyline was complicated and poorly executed. The introduction of Discord was a missed opportunity, and it’s hard to see how the franchise can recover from this.