Old Guy
Directed by Simon West
Written by Greg Johnson
Starring Christoph Waltz, Cooper Hoffman, & Lucy Liu
Rated R
Runtime: 1 hours, 33 minutes
Now playing in theaters

by Heidi Krull, Staff Writer

The “good guy versus bad guy” trope can get tiring with action films, and since many of them rely on this trope, it can be difficult to differentiate between each plot. Old Guy, directed by action film veteran Simon West (The Expendables 2, The Mechanic), does include some common themes, but also brings a refreshing vulnerability and softness to the forefront.

Old Guy opens with Danny Dolinski (Christoph Waltz), a retired hitman who firmly believes that, despite his age, he is the best in his field. He recently had surgery on his shooting hand and has been hardcore partying during his recovery while also trying (and failing) to get the attention of club manager, Anata (Lucy Liu). After he is pretty much healed, he is informed that The Company he works for wants him back in the field. However, the catch is that he is being forced to train a young loose-cannon Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman), who has an entirely different style on the field. The two are charged with eliminating a competing crime group, and despite their initial differences, they form a bond that no one sees coming.

This film, I thought, had a pretty healthy balance between typical action film tropes and original ideas. While the “unlikely pair” trope is not new by any means, the execution of it in Old Guy caught me by surprise. Neither Dolinksi nor Wihlborg are morally sound people, which immediately creates a separation between this film and others like it. With Dolinski, I felt like his character began as a stereotypical action protagonist: unemotional, selfish, and talented with a weapon. But as the film continues, Dolinski's true nature emerges, and the viewer begins to see through the tough retired old man act. The stunning presence of Lucy Liu also helped with this, as Anata managed to pull out the most sensitive parts of him. Wihlborg was more of an enigma, but he too shows real development by the end of it all, learning to hold back when he needs to and to not be overconfident. What I love about their relationship is the hilarious irony that, although they are helping each other grow, they are not heroes in any sense of the word. But, although they have both killed a ton of people, you can’t help but feel a weird camaraderie with them.

Though I found many of the tropes in this film to be harmless, if not beneficial to the overall outcome, I did find some of the writing choices to be questionable. I felt that Wihlborgs' execution suffered a bit; it seemed clear to me that the writer's room did not fully understand Gen Z's behaviors or language. This is an unfortunately common downfall of films and TV shows alike in the modern era, and to be fair, it happens with every new generation. In an attempt to create a vapid, selfish youngster, what was created instead was a sort of caricature of the typical Gen Z’er. Wihlborgs lines would often feel forced, almost like Hoffman didn’t want to say them. As a Gen Z’er myself, I couldn’t help but cringe a little, especially when his character was first introduced. However, toward the end, Wihlborg began to grow on me because of his inner growth through his relationship with Dolinski. Although they may have struggled to create a standalone Gen Z person, his character was saved by Hoffman’s performance and the relationships he formed along his journey.

There were a couple of elements that made Old Guy very enjoyable to watch. Despite ninety percent of the film being unrealistic to the average person, the idea behind ageism in the workforce is very much real. Dolinski is severely looked down upon for much of this film, both by those in The Company and by Anata. Because Dolinksi is older, I felt drawn to his pain and instantly felt empathy for his situation even though he is a trained killer. This film did such a great job of pulling on the heartstrings with this character, which was the last thing I expected when I began watching. Anata’s character was also compelling to watch. You would think that any beautiful, badass woman would have it easy in an action comedy, but Anata struggled to find a true connection for the majority of the film. Overall, the characters’ constantly growing relationships with each other, and their relationships with themselves, are what made this film feel special.

There were a couple of small things that held Old Guy back from being an instant classic, but all in all, it was a unique, funny, and unexpected viewing experience. This film felt new and modern, and made typical action film motifs its own.

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