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I watched the movie "The Old Guards" the other day and cannot help thinking that they were "Old-But-Not-Wise" Guards.
1. What is the movie about?
Who are they? - A group of immortals who excel in combat, but with no super-natural powers.
But they do not have any super-natural powers, like punching through the walls or see around the corner. They are just well trained in combat and have the power to heal no matter how badly they are wounded or how many times they are drowned.
So the only thing they really fear is being captured by humans and locked up in a cage for life which could mean eternity. This setting is reasonably understandable.
What do they do? - Well, live their limitless lives and try saving the world over and over again.
Limitless life can be a dread too, especially for one of them who lost all his sons and were hated by his sons for not sharing his "forever young and healthy" gift.
Under the leadership of Andy, they try to save the world, not really knowing the actual impact of their doing, because it could take generations for the real impact to show.
What conflicts do they experience in the movie? - They are really confused on how to save mankind and they are hunted by mankind, as always.
Apparently, nothing can stop mankind from destroying itself. After so much efforts, they are confused, disappointed and helpless, because things just keep getting worse, to the point that the leader, Andy, wants to give up and stop caring.
And as always, the mortal humans want immortality more than anything, especially the ones on the top. And they try to capture and study the immortals, in attempt to find a solution.
And sometimes, they get help and succeed.
What is the ending like? - Bad guy dies and the immortals realize their value of their doing and Andy loses her immortality and Quynh comes back.
As always, the bad guy always get stupid and die.
Finally, by the research of some CIA agent, the immortals realize that they have save humanity countless times.
Andy loses her immortality but she survives the last conflict of the movie and continues to lead the group.
And Yean! Quynh comes back!
2. Why "Old-But-Not-Wise"?
First, their way of life and doing things.
Come on! Andy must be thousands of years old. The youngest of them is from Crusade era, which is 700-800 years old.
After living so many years, they are still acting like foot-soldiers and do the wet work themselves and, worst of all, risk being captured - their greatest fear.
Do they not ever learn?!
Over so many years, they could have built the most mysterious and influential families/organizations on the planet with all the resources and power under their wing.
They could have lived better and saved mankind more effectively.
Second, among four of them, there is a traitor because he wants to die.
Most of his endless life, he suffers from the hate of his sons because they thought he would not share his gift with them even when they were dying. Only he knew that only if he could.
I wonder why time has not healed him mentally. So many years, he could have had different lives. The memory of his sons would have faded. Maybe he is busy saving the world, but still time should have had its healing effect.
And I wonder why there is never anything between him and Andy. After all, for the longest time, there are only 4 of them: him, Andy and a couple.
And even his own colleagues do not understand and agree with him. In the end, the punishment is 100 years alone out there.
I do think that in the end, that they did not let him off with an apology, as the new lady suggests, is evidence of their wisdom.
Old people should know clearly that mistakes should come with punishment and that guy needs time to think. If he cannot find a way to live with himself, no one can help him.
3. Looking forward to the next episode!
Really glad that Quynh comes back in the end.
After being drowned at the bottom of the ocean over and over and over again for like 500 years, I can only imagine she would crave for revenge.
I look forward to seeing how she takes revenge on the mortals - will she cast her fire of revenge over the humanity all alike or will she focus on the specific group of people, like descendants of the people who locked her up and threw her in the ocean?
And I would like to see whether she will manipulate mortals to achieve what she wants, something her peers have never done.
And who will save humanity this time? Her immortal peers or a mortal hero?
I hope for the latter. Maybe this will make the immortals realize that humanity does not need saving or safeguarding. For some wired and unspeakable mechanism, humanity always saves itself from extinction.
And the immortals can finally relax and enjoy humanity and peace.
Maybe suddenly, they will all lose immortality and become mortal and live a "normal" life until they die old.
Maybe they will be accepted, respected and welcome as part of humanity (First of all, humans needs to accept completely that the gift cannot be transferred - Chance of that happening? Zero!).
By the way, the actress, Ngo Thanh Van, is lovely and I think her appearance in the movie is her best yet!
Till next time!
[By the way, this post represents a bad story structure - ideally, background should take ~15% of the length. It takes ~30% here...]
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