"Immortal Guard": a new look at superheroes and Charlize Theron

Netflix has released a full-length film adaptation of the famous comic strip by Greg Ruki "The Old Guard" (which is more logical to translate as "The Old Guard"). Moreover, the original author personally worked on the script of the film.

The dark action movie reimagines some of the ideas of the traditional superhero movie and offers some good action. At the same time, although the director Gina Prince-Bytwood goes to the finale and goes into a frank drama, it is better not to look for a really deep plot here.

1. A different view of immortality

The plot of the film, very close to the comics, tells about a team of four mercenaries led by Andromache Scythian (Charlize Theron), or simply Andy. They are experienced fighters performing the most difficult tasks. But they also have a main feature: heroes cannot die.

This does not mean eternal life; at some point, their restoration can fail, turning an invulnerable warrior into an ordinary person. But before that, all members of the guard have to live for hundreds and even thousands of years.

The very plot, it would seem, hints at a traditional comic book plot, and many will immediately remember Wolverine from X-Men. Although you shouldn't joke about the similarity of the names: Andromache actually refers to ancient Greek mythology, and they coincide only in Russian sound.

But still, fans of the genre have seen cool immortal warriors more than once. But the new film allows you to look at their fate from the other side. Indeed, in fact, life for many centuries is more a curse than a gift.

Each of the heroes suffers from loneliness: all their loved ones have long died and even names and faces have been erased from memory. Only Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nikki (Luca Marinelli) were able to become ideal life partners for each other.

And this is even more revealed in contrast to Niall (Kiki Lane) - the newcomer to the team. She is also immortal. But she hasn’t realized this yet, doesn’t understand how to leave her relatives, and in general she is in too much haste to do everything.

For the rest, whole decades have long been mixed into one series of the mass, and life has turned into existence.

Emotions reach their greatest intensity towards the end, where the plot already departs from the original source. Here director Gina Prince-Bytwood recalls that she got her hands on the drama (“The Immortal Guard” is her first action movie), and twists the ambiguity of the situation to the fullest. Even one of the villains no longer seems so mean. A motivation another team member, Booker (Matthias Schonarts), is unexpected and even tragic.

Alas, the abundance of such turns overloads the picture. After all, too little has been said about the heroes. Small flashbacks reveal their feelings, but the motivation remains superficial.

However, the idea itself, similar to which in recent years could be seen only in "Logan", pays for all the shortcomings. The same feeling when life is already unbearably hard, but you still don't want to die.

2. Accurate adaptation of the comic

The popular Marvel Cinematic Universe has taught viewers that films take only an idea from the original, but tell their own new plot.

However, the "Immortal Guard" can compete for the title of one of the most accurate comic book adaptations in the history of cinema (at the level of "Guardians" and "Sin City"). The first two-thirds of the film retell the original source almost verbatim, only supplementing it with separate lines.

So those who read the Ruki comic may even be boring: you can predict the development of events, and even some phrases.

Unfortunately, the screen version misses a few important points from the original.

First, the idea of ​​speeding up time was lost. In past centuries, heroes could exist peacefully for much longer, without raising questions. In the digital age, they have to change locations faster and meet the same people less.

Secondly, in the comic, all the main characters are behind technology. Andy could not turn on her smartphone and did not understand anything about data transfer. This seems logical for people who live very long lives. Only the “youngest” Booker, who is only a couple of centuries old, was responsible for the connection with modernity. And this played a certain role in the plot.

And so Niall was much more different from her colleagues. She is a 21st century child with a different sense of life and knowledge. And in general, the heroes looked more cynical, which is also logical. In the film adaptation, the relationship in the team is warmer.

Although all this can be attributed to the difference in genres and the subtleties of the plot elaboration. Not all thoughts are from comic it will turn out to be successfully adapted. Moreover, the emphasis in the film was shifted to a different component.

3. Great classic action movie

In times of pandemic, when cinemas are closed, many viewers suffer from a lack of action-packed films. And Netflix issues the second thriller (the first was the gorgeous "Tyler Rake"), which fans of the genre will definitely like.

Charlize Theron in recent years has finally strengthened her title of a movie star. One can argue about the plot of "Explosive Blonde" (by the way, also based on a comic book). But the fights there are incredible. And about her magnificent image of Furiosa in the last "Mad Max"And needless to say.

In the posters and the beginning of the film, her Andy is somewhat reminiscent of the 2005 heroine of Aeon Flux. But soon the image is replaced by a more lively and everyday one. And this is good. Instead of heroes in costumes, the audience is shown seemingly ordinary people, but with very cool training.

In terms of action, "Immortal Guard" is closest to "John Wick", although it loses a couple of points.

Here, in the same way, many hand-to-hand fights are shown, and even pistols are more often used at close range. For greater entertainment, the heroes are armed with various melee weapons: Andy fights with an ax and even an ax.

In addition, there are many scenes when the heroes go out alone or together against the crowd. Alas, authors often go overboard with editing. Especially in the first battles, there is too much flickering, which makes it difficult to enjoy the action.

Enemies here look like faceless cannon fodder. Alas, they did not even try to add some charismatic villains. And the main antagonist in the film is in big trouble. He seems to have logical motives, but by the end he turns into an indistinct operetta villain. It is unlikely that even it will turn out to hate him.

Although this partly returns to the spirit of classic action movies from the 90s. Therefore, there is no doubt about the triumph of the truth. But even the heroes themselves cannot answer whether they are good or evil.

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The end of the "Immortal Guard" hints at the continuation of the story. Although some comic deviations and dramatic elements make future development more difficult. And in general, there are doubts about the need for a sequel.

Although the director adds drama to the plot, this film is a typical action movie in which all serious ideas serve only as a background for grotesque battles. And only for a while the action will make you think: at what price is eternal or at least a very long life? The idea is difficult and very sobering.

Have you read the original comic? Have you been waiting for the movie? And in general, do you love the cool action movies of recent years?