[FilmReview]TheOldGuard(2020)6.8/10

WhenUSMarineNileFreeman(Layne)isthrownintoacognitiveconfusionafterdiscoveringthatsheisanimmortal,shereluctantlyfollowsAndromacheofScytheaka.Andy(Theron),theleaderofanarmyoffourofsimilarimmortals,ontheconditionthatthelatterwouldprovidetheanswerofwhatisgoingon,andafewscreen-minuteslater,Andy’spatrejoinderofNile’sagitatedpuzzlementis“Ididn’tsayyouwillliketheanswer”.Thatisadouble-edgedevasionsinceitgoeswithoutsaying,“immortality”isstillaneverelusiveHolyGrailforhumanity,butonamoreself-consciouslevel,itisTHEOLDGUARD’sowndisclaimerthat“youmightwatchourfilm,butsatisfactionisnot100%guaranteed”.African-AmericanfemaledirectorGinaPrince-Bythewood’sfourthfeature,followingthetrailblazerlikePattyJenkins,THEOLDGUARDisanass-kickingsuperheroflickthatimmutablycentersonitsfemalecharacters,here,Theronremarkablyandconsistentlystrutsherstuffastheoptimalactionstar,despitethatthesettingisgenericallycontemporary(nospatiotemporalspecificslikeDavidLeitch’sATOMICBLONDEorGeorgeMiller’sMADMAX:FURYROAD),andtheactionsequencesarepragmaticallychoreographedratherthanelaboratelydesigned.Theron’sAndyexudesprofoundworld-weariness(theburdenofbeingimmemorialandfrustratedbythevicewithinhumanity)andvulnerability(anefficaciousplotdevicetokeepsomethingatstake,otherwise,sincetheycannotbekilled,thereisnofuntowatchthemprevailoverdespicablelessermortals),andmoreimportantly,shehastomentorarookieNile,playedwithverveandflexibilitybyLayne,evensuggestsabaton-passingconnotationthatconsolidatesthesolidarity.Ifanything,Prince-BythewoodandwriterGregRucka(alsotheco-authorofthegraphiccomicsthemovieisbasedon)nailtheircolorstothemastofsolidaritytoholdthoseancientmercenariestogether,evenwhenperfidyflaresupasaroutinestimulanttofacilitatethestorydevelopment,thereareconsequencesthough(aheartfeltapologycannotdothetrick),butnovilenesscancontaminatetheoutfit.Asfortheantagonists,thearch-villainStevenMerrick(Melling,Harry’sobnoxiouscousininHARRYPOTTERfranchise,whohassuccessfullygrownintoaviciousbeing)isawhippersnapperarrivistewhorepaysthosewarriors’centuriesofgooddeedsbycapturingthemasguineapigsforhisownprofit,ifthatcannotrattleone’scage,humanityisreallydoomed.Notwithstandingthatmalecharactersaresidelined,THEOLDGUARDboldlyandunabashedlyexaltsgayloveinthepersonsofNickyandJoe(MarinelliandKenzari,bothactorshavegraduatedfromplayingvillainstoheroes),theirkissandarousingdeclarationoflovearticulatedbyKenzaridwarfanyhomophobicmachismoandonestepclosertointegratequeerpersonagesintothemainstream.Ethnicinclusivityalsoshowsstrongpromise,VanVeronicaNgo’simpressivecameoasQuynh,Andy’scomrade-in-armseonsearlierisreintroducedattheend,butwithavengeancethatcankickoffasequelwithfansintrigued.Amongtheglutofsuperheroofferings,THEOLDGUARDismodestinscaleandaction,butwhatPrince-Bythewoodandherteamprioritizesisthetime-honoredtraditiontoestablishcompassionate,complicatedandbelievablecharacters,howeveroutlandishthemilieuitis,forthatmatter,itismorethansatisfactory,andlastly,toTheron,allhailtoourqueen!referentialentries:DavidLeitch’sATOMICBLONDE(2017,6.6/10);PattyJenkins’WONDERWOMAN(2017,7.1/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。