The Old Guard 2’s Popcornmeter score has arrived on Rotten Tomatoes, and the film breaks a seven-year streak for star Charlize Theron. Directed by Victoria Mahoney, the sequel comes five years after the release of the original, which became a big viewership hit on Netflix back in 2020.
Theron reprises her role as Andy inThe Old Guard 2’s cast, this time leading her immortal team of warriors against a dangerous new enemy that threatens humanity. The film includes an impressive roster of actors, including Uma Thurman, Henry Golding, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, Veronica Ngo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, among others.
After critics awarded the sequel a poor 28% onRotten Tomatoes, audiences have now spoken, andthe film has debuted with a lackluster 44% Popcornmeter score from over 100 reviews. This score is likely to fluctuate as more reviews come in, but, as seen in the chart below, this marks Theron’s first rotten audience score since 2018’sGringo, and a significant step down fromThe Old Guard:
28%
44%
56%
84%
The School for Good and Evil
38%
66%
69%
59%
82%
80%
70%
68%
46%
74%
87%
75%
40%
What This Means For The Old Guard 2
Will The Sequel Repeat The Original’s Success On Netflix?
The Old Guard’sendingset the stage for an action-packed sequel, butthe follow-up faced numerous delays and complications, including pandemic-related problems and the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikesin 2023. Unfortunately, the Rotten Tomatoes scores suggest that, for most viewers, the sequel has not delivered.
Generally speaking, critics have taken issue with the less-than-stellar production quality, the lack of story resolution, poor writing, and underwhelming fight sequences. In herThe Old Guard 2reviewforScreenRant,Mae Abdulbaki awarded the film a more generous six out of 10, praising the film’s exploration of Andy and the other characters.
Though the Popcornmeter score could become more positive as more viewer scores are added, this disappointing start could suggest that the sequel will struggle to match the strong viewership of the original. If this does happen,this could jeopardize a potential third installment, whichThe Old Guard 2’s ending clearly sets up.
Our Take On The Old Guard 2’s Poor Rotten Tomatoes Performance
Charlize Theron Already Has A Great Comeback Movie Planned
The Old Guardmay not have ascended to become action movie royalty, butit was a fun and exciting adventure that put Theron’s action hero skills front and center. It’s a shame, then, that the sequel hasn’t totally recaptured this.
It’s notable thatThe Old Guard 2hails from a new director, with Mahoney having stepped in for Gina Prince-Bythewood. This could partly explain the differences between the two movies, butthe complicated production and the numerous delays may also have taken a toll.
As for Theron, the actor is already poised for a major comeback, asshe is confirmed to appear as part of the stacked cast ofChristopher Nolan’sThe Odysseynext year. Though this film is still quite far away, it could certainly wash away any disappointment fromThe Old Guard 2.
