AtanariaSimon West’s Old Guy is a staggering misfire of an action-comedy, failing at both its attempts at humor and thrills. In a genre that has seen an uptick in aging assassin stories, this film offers nothing new, nothing exciting, and frankly, nothing worthwhile. Despite having a stellar lead in Christoph Waltz, Old Guy struggles with a lifeless script, uninspired action sequences, and weak performances from the supporting cast.
Christoph Waltz Can’t Save This Trainwreck
The film follows Danny Dolinski (Waltz), an aging contract killer forced to mentor a younger assassin, Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman). While Waltz’s natural charisma momentarily shines through, his character is so inconsistently written that any investment quickly dissipates. Worse still, his chemistry with Hoffman is abysmal. Hoffman, unfortunately, delivers a wooden performance, making their odd-couple dynamic feel more like a chore than an engaging clash of personalities.
Even Lucy Liu, who has proven herself in action-heavy roles before, is completely wasted here. Instead of playing a formidable counterpart, she is relegated to a poorly developed, forced love interest, making her performance feel awkward and unnecessary. It’s genuinely impressive how Old Guy manages to make Liu look bad.
A Story That’s As Unoriginal As It Gets
From the very first scene, Old Guy reeks of derivative storytelling. The setup—an older assassin training a younger one—has been done before and done better in films like The Mechanic or In Bruges. However, unlike those films, Old Guy doesn’t bring any fresh angles. Instead, it fumbles its way through a by-the-numbers plot with no surprises. The attempts at humor fall flat, and the dialogue is embarrassingly stilted.
Greg Johnson’s script is uninspired at best and downright amateurish at worst. There’s little effort put into character development or world-building, making every scene feel like a slog. The film doesn’t explore themes of aging, obsolescence, or mentorship in any meaningful way—it simply throws in tired tropes and hopes for the best.
Action? What Action?
For a director with Simon West’s experience (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), the action sequences in Old Guy are shockingly dull. The fight choreography lacks any creativity, and the chase scenes feel uninspired. The editing is choppy, and the sound design is inconsistent, further dampening any potential excitement.
One glaring example of the film’s incompetence is a supposed high-stakes action scene set on a golf course. Instead of utilizing golf carts in a fun and inventive way, the antagonists simply abandon them and sprint into the forest. This baffling lack of imagination encapsulates the overall laziness of Old Guy’s action direction.
The Ultimate Sin: It’s Boring
Action movies can get away with thin plots and cheesy dialogue if they’re at least entertaining. Old Guy commits the worst offense an action-comedy can—it’s downright boring. Every sequence feels like a mandatory checkbox rather than an organic part of the narrative. The pacing is sluggish, and the film lacks any sense of urgency or tension.
By the time the credits roll, you’ll be left wondering how a film starring Christoph Waltz and Lucy Liu could be so utterly unremarkable. Old Guy fails on nearly every level—weak writing, poor direction, uninspired action, and a general lack of charm. Save yourself the disappointment and skip this one.
Final Verdict : A lifeless, uninspired mess that deserves to be forgotten. Ew.
