Old Guy: Old School Meets Gen Z

Christoph Waltz is one of those actors who I think can make even mediocre material fun. His career caught fire again thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, roles that showcase his razor-sharp timing and ability to blend menace with charm. More recently, he’s been chewing the scenery delightfully in the TV series The Consultant, a show that feels tailor-made for his quirky energy.

In Old Guy, Waltz is again, delivering a performance that is by far the highlight of the film.

Danny Dolinski (Waltz) is a veteran hitman who still believes he’s the best in the business, even though the world seems to have moved on. He’s stuck in a rut, spending his days pining after Anata (Lucy Liu), who sees through his charm. When Danny finally gets the call for a new assignment, he’s thrilled—until he learns he’s only been brought in to train Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman), a Gen Z rookie with more brains than field experience. Their mission: dismantle a rival crime syndicate. But as bullets fly and alliances shift, Danny and Wihlborg uncover the Company’s real plan—to wipe out the old guard, Danny included. What follows is a classic double-cross turned team-up, as Danny’s old-school grit and Wihlborg’s fresh thinking collide in surprisingly effective ways. Together with Anata, they turn the tables in a final act that’s as predictable as it is enjoyable.

Visually, the film pops. Simon West, known for Con Air and The Expendables 2, knows how to shoot action with flair, and Old Guy is no exception. There’s a crispness to the cinematography, a slickness to the set pieces, and a general confidence in how everything is framed. It’s easy on the eyes, and you can tell the production value is solid across the board. The movie has that glossy sheen that we, as action fans, enjoy so much.

But beneath the shine, Old Guy doesn’t have much new to offer. It’s not a bad film, but it leans so heavily on well-worn tropes that even Waltz’s best efforts can’t fully elevate it. The plot is predictable, the jokes often feel like leftovers from better scripts, and while it moves at a decent pace, there’s little that sticks with you.

And then there’s Lucy Liu. Cast as a no-nonsense handler with a murky past, Liu is introduced with the promise of being a major player in the story, but the film barely gives her anything to do. It’s a real shame, because Liu has presence and comedic chops, and her scenes with Waltz hint at what could have been a great dynamic. Instead, she’s sidelined, making brief appearances that feel more like contractual obligations than narrative necessity.

On the flip side, Cooper Hoffman—who I wasn’t familiar with before this film—is a genuine surprise. He brings a likeable awkwardness to his role, avoiding the usual “annoying rookie” trap these movies often fall into. There’s a sincerity in his performance that works, and while his character isn’t particularly deep, Hoffman makes him engaging. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what he does next.

In the end, Old Guy is one of those films that’s just... fine. If you’re a Christoph Waltz fan (and I am), there’s enough here to enjoy. He’s clearly having fun, and that’s infectious. But the movie never quite escapes its own clichés, and with Lucy Liu barely used, it’s hard not to feel like the film missed a trick.