When I first heard about The Old Guard I felt like it was telling a story that has been done to death: immortals live amongst us, trying to guide humanity from the shadows. To a degree, that was a fair appraisal, but I began seeing some pretty solid reviews and comments about it and I must admit, even if the plot has been done before, I don't think it's ever been done this well before.

The cast are all brilliant, though Charlize Theron does stand out as a particularly nuanced take on the standard female badass warrior, and I thought the core group of immortals had exceptional chemistry on screen. Chiwetel Ejiofor was also great and seeing Dudley from Harry Potter play a villainous CEO was both a surprise and a delight. The plot wasn't anything too original, but I loved the use of flashbacks to flesh out their characters a little as well, giving you just enough world-building to buy into the concept without ever feeling the need to over-explain things.

Action choreography was exceptional throughout (the kill shot on the head mercenary was brutal) and the direction/general production level all went above and beyond. I feel like this movie was made by people that really cared about the execution and that showed through. The healing special effects were also pretty great and never felt ridiculous, even when they were clearly magical. Andy's loss of her immortality was a little telegraphed (as was Booker's betrayal), but then her survival and continued badassery meant the final showdown had some real stakes, so it worked out really well.

Overall, then, I'm a fan. I thought The Old Guard took a stale concept and did something a little fresh with it, then executed on that idea brilliantly. I've very up for a sequel and will definitely enjoy seeing where they take the world next.