MovieChat Forums > The Old Guard (2020) Discussion > Entertaining, But Illogical

Entertaining, But Illogical


Just saw it. Not a bad way to burn a couple of mindless, sheltered-in-place hours. Just don't think too much about the premise or logical progression from it, or it all falls apart.

Not the fault of the movie, btw; it hews very closely to the comics it's based on. 7/10, bumped to an 8 because Charlize is still one of the hottest women in history.

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What doesn't make sense is Charlize Theron as a Scythian.

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Yeah that bothered me too.

Also, what is so illogical? Obviously we have immortality, but if you can suspend disbelief for that I don't really see what else comes across as too unrealistic.

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Well. . .

If you stop and think about the central idea, you realize that incredible fighters who are immortal would not behave the way these guys did. Nor would they be as resource-poor as they were. Nor would they have separated specialties the way they did. Etc, etc, etc. . .you could nitpick the particulars all day, or you could just sit back and enjoy the mindless action. Which I did, so. . .(shrug).

TL/DR: If you had THOUSANDS of years to accumulate knowledge/resources, the sequence of events in this movie would *never* have happened.

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Down to debate this, you mind being more specific though?

One small thing to mention is that their time span doesn't automatically make them omniscient. In the comics, Andy (the grandma of the group) is really bad with technology and asks Booker if he can get the tape from the cameras. He then has to explain that they're connected to a satellite and that there is no tape.

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I've read the comics. Not sure what there is to debate. . .a reasonably bright person at a mid-tier university could learn everything there is to know about "technology" in the space of a dedicated four-year curriculum. Certainly, to the level the comics/movie describe. Likewise, any human with an ounce of determination, drive and smarts could, if given a hundred years, amass a *significant* amount of capital/resources.
These people have been around for MILLENIA. It's beyond silly that they haven't learned whatever there is to learn, in a WIDE range of disciplines. . .and pulled together enough resources to handle *anything*. Let alone the relatively blunt events described in this movie.
A good comics-related comparison is Vandal Savage. Or R'as al Ghul. The way they're presented makes a lot more sense (for the most part).

But again: I really didn't let this bother me too much. I'm a big fan of Fernandez, so the comics were a must-get for me. And I could watch Theron read the phone book, so: win-win.

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If they're soldiers it makes sense they still want to do what they're best at, which is eliminating threats. Having capitol doesn't eliminate the need to solve issues such as kidnappings, unless you're arguing they should have so much money they should have made the world a utopia already.

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Dunno how to better explain it. A two-thousand year old human wouldn't be a "soldier." Or a "computer geek." Or a carpenter, or an accountant, or a middle-class citizen. They'd be the ultimate polymath. This would be due to the sheer weight of experiential currency, as well as any basic human sense of self-preservation.

The accumulation of THAT much knowledge would necessarily make you a very, Very, VERY capable person. With a Deep pool of resources. Not at all what this movie describes. Most of the plot silliness proceeds from this basic flaw in concept, but it's by no means the only problem with the movie.

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Alright, I can see where you're coming from.

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It seemed like they were making her out to be much older than the Scythian empire (I think it was somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 thousand years ago). I missed that part when I watched this for some reason. I was assuming she was from well before ancient Egypt and Sumeria.

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In the comic she's over 6000 years old.

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Definitely older than Scyhian empire LOL.

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lol she's been around for a while but the comic always describes her as Scythian.

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What made me laugh is she was talking English with an American accent way back in those battle flashbacks.

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Ah true, good point.

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I think it was one of the better action fantasy movies from 2000 onward.

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once I learned it was based on a Comic book, I shut the old brain off and no longer cared about logic.

But, Avengers made 3 billion dollars, sooooo this is what everyone wants to do now.

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Some comics are logical. So your thought process doesn't track.

Suggestons:

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Achives-Archives-Graphic-Novels/dp/1401204171/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=the+spirit+archives&qid=1595311236&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Watchmen-2019-Alan-Moore/dp/1779501129/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XKZF1FJJMW8V&dchild=1&keywords=watchmen+graphic+novel&qid=1595311279&sprefix=Watchmen%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Age_(comics)

FYI: The Golden Age is an amazing book, but if you didn't grow up reading comics, it won't hit you as hard. The reason it's impressive is it takes the contradictory, silly, campy, crude work of the early decades and updates it into a coherent whole. . .all while telling a compelling story, with gorgeous art.

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I RESPECT comics completely, but they are not for me. I love movies though and am sad to see all the biggest films are now "comics" set to film. Usually filled with completely random powers, dropped in where ever needed, at any time. That lack of planning the plot is mentally offensive to me.

Just not a fan of "powers". Always feels like a cop out for movies to do over the top CGI fight scenes with zero impact.
That said, everyone should like what they like, nothing wrong with it.

But THIS films feels empty. Haven't even been interested to finish it yet. I usually watch movies in one sitting.

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Would LOVE to get your take on the suggested titles. They're what I recommend to people who feel as you do. Not everyone gets into them, but those who do REALLY get into them.

As far as the "powers" issue, have you seen The Boys? It addresses what you're describing *exactly.*

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love to help, but I don't do ANY comic anything. or graphic novels, or books even. just not for me. my life has too many other hobbies going on, no space for more. NOTHING WRONG with it, its just not my thing. And many of MY things would not be of interest to other people... its all good.

Have not seen THE BOYS. Since it is super powers and comic based, I'm out.

I DID enjoy the very first Iron Man when this all started for its humane story -- up until the silly CGI fight finale. GAWD.

Again, nothing wrong with this Gerne, everyone else loves it, it makes billions, but CGI fighting with super powers bores me. I LITEREALLY prefer Tom Cruise movies (dumb as they are) becuase he is doing REAL stunts and that makes it a ton more exciting. CGI is just watching cartoons - which I also watch cartoons, but not when they pretend to be photorealistic reality.

That said, I thought THIS movie was an action flick, not a comic with crazy powers film. STILL haven't watched the second half of it yet.... plot just seems done a million times before, no draw, nothing new, no good characters or drive. Yawn.

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You realize not all comics are superheroes right? e.g. The Walking Dead.

Just saying there's plenty more out there if powers just bore you. Crime e.g. Ed Brubaker's Criminal, Fatale.

Drama: Jeff Lemire's Underwater Welder, Royal City
...and so on.

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I'm sure they are actually really great, they just don't interest me.
Everyone has different tastes. :) I can't STAND green beans - tastes like dead skunk $#!t in my mouth - but I know people who LOVE them.

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All I was saying is that comics are not all superheroes.

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