despite the familiarity, "The Old Guard" manages to be both very grounded and very entertaining, a marriage of expectations and twists unlike little else the genre has inspired even during its most fruitful times
despite some solid action beats and a story that skips from Sudan to Afghanistan, Paris and, finally, Guildford, "The Old Guard" is a trite revenge/conspiracy yarn, clumsily told, and squanders a potentially engaging conceit
despite an appealingly nutty premise and a reliably game Charlize Theron, "The Old Guard" can't escape the trappings of its generic plotting, expository dialogue, and underwhelming action
an astutely balanced blend of involving drama and visceral action; Led with take-charge authority by Charlize Theron, flanked by a breakout turn from KiKi Layne, this is unusually soulful superhero material firmly rooted in real-world situations
"The Old Guard" offers plenty of exciting action and fun character beats to keep viewers hooked even when the story screeches to a halt; It's an excellent escape for fans of the comics, superhero movies and anything with slick action scenes
"The Old Guard" is an entertaining action romp that utilises the star-power of Charlize Theron but still remains a formulaic and superficial piece of work