It’s been five years since The Old Guard was released on Netflix. A lot has happened since then, but it feels like no time at all has pᴀssed in The Old Guard 2, the long-awaited sequel that saw Victoria Mahoney taking over directorial duties from Gina Prince-Bythewood, whose touch can’t be exactly replicated. The action film looks and feels a bit different; it’s less bright and more muted. The characters still have plenty of time to talk and create a depth that isn’t always there in actioners, and there’s a moral question the sequel poses that is intriguing yet barely touched upon.

There are new faces here — Uma Thurman as Discord, the first immortal who saves Quynh (Vân Veronica Ngô) from the depths of the ocean and who has a bone to pick with Andy (Charlize Theron), and Tuah (Henry Golding), an immortal who’s essentially the group’s historian. Following Booker’s (Matthias Schoenaerts) betrayal and subsequent exile at the end of the first film, The Old Guard 2 picks up six months later.

Andy is still mortal and struggling to deal with what that means, and Nile (KiKi Layne) is especially protective of her. When the group, which includes Nicky (Luca Marinelli), Yusuf (Marwan Kenzari), and the mortal James (Chiwetel Ejiofor), discovers Discord has resurfaced with plans that threaten the mortal world, they step into action — but her plan is not so simple and more personal than any of them think.

The Old Guard 2 Sits With Its Characters’ Struggles

I Appreciated That They Got Room To Breathe

There’s a lot to like about The Old Guard 2, such as the fact that the action never overshadows the characters or plot. There’s a lot of mulling as the characters are faced with their actions and questions about betrayal, loyalty, what it means to be immortal, and getting involved with human affairs. It’s the feelings of betrayal that are the strongest, however, as Quynh learns that Andy has gone on living her life while she suffered. Andy is forced to confront her guilt while Quynh must live with the never-ending hurt.

While Quynh seeks revenge and wants to cause the most pain to Andy by working with Discord against her, Booker seeks to redeem himself and make amends for betraying Andy and the team. It’s an interesting dynamic to watch play out, though I don’t think any of the team is as angry at Booker as they should be; they often feel bad for exiling him. The fact that he’s remorseful makes the betrayal a bit easier to swallow, though, and it’s in these dynamics with Booker and Quynh, as well as Thurman’s commanding scenes as the film’s antagonist, that are felt most deeply.

Nicky and Yusuf don’t get much to do and even when they have a brief rift, The Old Guard 2 is not great at digging more into the conflict. The pair has one great scene together, but that’s pretty much it, and it’s a shame because their dynamic shines when they get focus. It’s like the screenplay, written by Greg Rucka, is hesitant about diving any further lest the film linger too long. This makes some of the conversations feel stilted and the transition to another scene immediately after abrupt. This happens a few times that I noticed, and the lack of a great score doesn’t help.

And yet, the character work here is why I ultimately cared about watching the plot play out. It made the sequel less of a chore to watch, as the characters — and the actors who play them — are committed to their tasks. Even when the moments might go on, or the reactions could have been further explored, the cast’s performances are engaging and compelling, uplifting what could have easily been a more hollow affair.

Additionally, the action scenes, while not entirely memorable, have their shining moments. They’re well-staged, and the film finds every reason to use more hand-to-hand combat over gun fights, which is also much more interesting to watch. We can also see every moment of the action as it’s thankfully well-lit yet only occasionally thrilling. The Old Guard 2 is a film that feels longer than it should be and not long enough. It strikes an odd balance, but there’s luckily more here that works than doesn’t, even if the plot is thin.

The Old Guard 2 Spends Too Much Time Setting Up Another Sequel

This Works To The Film’s Detriment

What ultimately fails the movie from excellence is the fact that it spends its final 20-25 minutes setting up a sequel. With the not-so-final showdown between Andy and Discord taking place well ahead of the film actually ending, there was too much time being used on laying the groundwork for a future story rather than telling a contained one as the first one did, with only a brief moment that teased a sequel. It’s frustrating considering how obsessed the film industry has become with setting up sequels that may or may not be guaranteed.

And while there’s still more story to tell — and Discord is an intriguing villain that I want to see more of, if only to watch Thurman be icy — I’m not convinced it justifies wasting what precious time we have with The Old Guard 2 and its narrative of immortals duking it out. This is especially true with The Old Guard 3 not being confirmed yet. Will we be waiting another five years before another sequel? I’m not sure, but it would’ve certainly been better had The Old Guard 2 stuck to a more contained story.