The end has no end: The Old Guard 2 and the curse of the cliffhanger ending

The sequel to the Netflix hit leaves viewers hanging with a tease for an unconfirmed sequel, highlighting a problem with the state of HollywoodSpoilers aheadThey must think they’re making The Empire Strikes Back – or at least Avengers: Infinity War. That’s the simplest explanation of how a movie like The Old Guard 2, a sequel to a generally well-liked Netflix action movie released in 2020, can be released five years after its predecessor without including the courtesy of an actual ending.Now, technically speaking, especially by the cliffhanging standards established by Star Wars and Marvel, The Old Guard 2 does have an ending (which will be spoiled in short order for clarity’s sake, so don’t read on if you haven’t seen it and want to experience a more organic disappointment). Andy (Charlize Theron), a centuries-old warrior who has lost and subsequently regained her healing powers of near-immortality, fights her enemy Discord (Uma Thurman) to a draw – which allows Discord to escape with the other members of Andy’s immortal team, so she may steal their healing powers. This seems to set up a final rescue/confrontation for the final 30 minutes of the film. Instead, Andy and her once-estranged bestie Quỳnh (Veronica Ngô) resolve to save their comrades. As they enthusiastically run off to do so, the movie ends. Continue reading...

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