Peter Kolar

Ticking the boxes? Movie "Old Guard" I was looking for an action movie on Netflix, and found this one, that is No.1 in Canada right now. Somewhere in the middle I start to realize that filmmakers are ticking the politically correct boxes. The movie starts with four immortal characters, 3 males, one female, who is tho boss of the group. They are all white. Two male characters are gay and somewhere in the middle they treat us to a declaration of their love and male to male kissing scene. One is a Muslim, one a crusader. Then they discover another immortal, who will join them and she is a female, black, and Muslim. She is a newcomer but soon slotted in a position of a future leader of the group. No lesbian tendencies shown, but no heterosexual either. Then we learn about another immortal, female, Vietnamese, who apparently is dying in the sea for the last 500 years. She is presented as former very close companion of the female leader. No female actually shows any heterosexual tendencies. The remaining, white member of the group, the only heterosexual hero, betrays the group and goes to penalty box for 100 years. Six heroes, 4 white (2 males gay, one potentially lesbian, one male traitor), 2 female POC (one potentially lesbian, one american muslim and leadership material). I am not sure if I like this type of mandatory inclusive PC casting. It sticks out from the plot. Not having anything against all the above named groups, and yes, it is a fantasy, and sure, artistic license - but the moment when I start to feel like being in an ideological reeducation class - it loses the entertainment value. Even when fights were not too bad, apart from women beating men by BJJ, and here we go again ;)