The Old Guard 2 at the top of Netflix’s movie charts this week, despite its lackluster reception by both fans and critics. The movie premiered on Wednesday, July 2nd after years of delays, and judging by its 24% positive Rotten Tomatoes score, it failed to live up to expectations. This sequel fell far short of the first movie back in 2020, which currently has a score of 80% and is even “certified fresh.” However, with only 50 critics accounted for and around 250 user-submitted reviews so far, these numbers could change. In the meantime, these scores may be keeping some viewers from giving the sequel a chance.
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The Old Guard hit hard in 2020, as it seemed exciting for Netflix to be adapting its own comic book superhero series, and the A-list cast seemed promising. Critics praised the action choreography at the time, as well as the premise’s built-in commentary on mortality and war. This time around, the fight sequences are actually one of the chief critiques, and many critics felt that the story led nowhere at all. The cliffhanger ending was also extremely unpopular, and some questioned whether it would ever be resolved.
Despite all that, the excitement for this sequel was clearly there. The Old Guard 2 appeared at the number one spot on Netflix’s “Top 10 Movies in the U.S. Today” chart, and the movie saw a lot of engagement on social media as well. More activity online might help bolster the movie’s standing — The Old Guard has 286 reviews from trusted critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and over 2,500 user-submitted reviews. The new sequel has 50 reviews, and over 250 user-submitted scores, so if others feel more positive about this movie, they may want to let the world know.
The Old Guard is based on a graphic novel series created by writer Greg Rucka and artist Leandro Fernández. It’s about a group of soldiers and warriors from different periods in time who all somehow gained immortality, and use their gift to continue fighting to this day in whatever wars are going on around the world. Rucka wrote the screenplay for the first movie, and co-wrote the sequel with Sarah L. Walker. The first movie was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who was praised in several prominent reviews, while the sequel was directed by Victoria Mahoney.
The sequel filmed in the summer of 2022, and it was delayed mostly by issues at Netflix in post-production. Some fans online argue that a more timely release might have gotten this movie a better reception, especially with the cliffhanger ending and its promise of a sequel. So far, Netflix has not announced plans for a third movie, and it’s hard to guess if they will between the top 10 chart and the negative reviews. Fans can find both Old Guard movies now on Netflix.
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