The Old Guard 2 Gets A Lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes Score — But Is the Original Still Worth Watching?

Charlize Theron’s The Old Guard 2 is getting disappointing early reviews, but is the original superhero film still worth watching five years later?

- July 3, 2025 | 1:44 PM IST

The Old Guard 2, the newly released sequel to the 2020 superhero movie starring Charlize Theron in the lead role, has received an underwhelming response from critics so far. As of now, the movie holds a below-average 28% critics’ score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Moreover, the sequel currently has a lukewarm user rating of 5.4/10 on IMDb.

Now, if you haven’t seen the first film yet and are wondering whether it’s worth your time, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out whether The Old Guard (2020) still holds up five years later, what it’s about, and where you can stream it today.

The Old Guard – Plot & Cast

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), the superhero action movie is based on the comic book of the same name. The film’s plot revolves around a group of immortal mercenaries, led by the courageous warrior Andy (Charlize Theron), who have secretly protected the world from various dangers for centuries.

But when their long-kept secret and extraordinary powers are suddenly exposed, they must act fast to stay hidden and retain their freedom. At the same time, a new immortal is revealed and joins the group. The movie also features KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Veronica Ngo and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The Old Guard 2 is one of the biggest disappointments so far this year.

Nowhere near as fun or engaging as its predecessor, does not do enough with the face off between Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman. Decent acting and action scenes can’t save this from being forgettable. pic.twitter.com/0d0Va6uI5s

— Jerome! 🐈‍⬛ (@JeromeM94Movies) July 2, 2025

Is The Old Guard Still Worth Watching?

Unlike its recently released sequel, the original film received a mostly positive response from critics. It holds an impressive critics’ score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly lower audience score of 71%. The site’s critics’ consensus reads, “The Old Guard is occasionally restricted by genre conventions, but director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings a sophisticated vision to the superhero genre – and some knockout action sequences led by Charlize Theron.”

On IMDb, the first film has a user rating of 6.7/10. So, five years after its release, is it still worth watching? If you’re a fan of superhero or action films with a fresh twist and a strong female lead, The Old Guard is definitely worth adding to your watchlist.