Old Guy
review by Bobby Blakey
Director Simon West knows his way around the action genre delivering numerous action hits including Con Air, Laura Croft: Tomb Raider and The Expendables 2 to name a few. His latest film Old Guy stars Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu, Cooper Hoffman, Ryan McParland, Ann Akinjirin, Jason Done, Tony Hirst, Kate Katzman, Conor Mullen, and Rory Mullen, but does it bring more of the expected action fun or will it be to old for the genre?
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Old Guy follows an aging hitman who is forced to train a young prodigy when his employer moves to replace the old guard. But when they learn they are being betrayed, the unlikely pair turns into a lethal team - with their double-crossing bosses in their sights.
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Being a fan of Christoph Waltz is the only reason I needed to see this film, but teaming up with West for an action film was a bonus. The thing is I had no context of what direction the film was going in since I had not seen the trailer. The promotional material had a vibe of a comedy, but what the film is something else. It does have a dark comedy aspect to it, but I was surprised that it had a more dramatic tone as the story moves forward.
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The story is familiar ground of the aging hit man and hits al the usual tropes, but the added injury and attempt to prove he still has it while training the next generation makes it feel fresh. The story isn’t complicated in any way, but keeps you engaged enough without over complicating it. The biggest reason this film works is Waltz who brings down an out type of persona that reminds me of characters like Bruce Willis in The Last Boy Scout, minus the more intense action.
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Make no mistake, there is some decent action here mostly in the last act where
Waltz looks to be having some fun and does a good job. He seems to be relishing this entire role and all his dysfunctional layers. His mentoring towards the new guy is where the film evolves from annoyance to mentor wrapped in a buddy action film trope. It drags at times in the pacing with some things that don’t really push the narrative forward and some uneven moments of characters just suddenly being ok with things.
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It's not breaking down the walls of any genre, but the film works well enough, especially Waltz himself making it worth checking out. Decide for yourself and check out Old Guy in theaters and on digital now from The Avenue.