There’s a Big Reason Why John Cena’s ‘Heads of State’ Succeeded When Netflix’s ‘The Old Guard 2’ Failed

This past Fourth of July weekend brought with it several major releases, both on the big and small screens. In the theatrical space, Universal’s latest entry in the Jurassic World franchise, Jurassic World: Rebirth, dominated the box office, with the Brad Pitt-starring vehicle, F1, trailing behind it in its second weekend of release. But the streaming space also saw two major new additions in the form of Prime Video’s Heads of State, starring John Cena and Idris Elba as the US President and the UK’s Prime Minister, as well as the Netflix sequel, The Old Guard 2, starring Charlize Theron, who reprises her role of Andy, the leader of a group of immortal warriors.

While the two streaming endeavors were clearly targeting separate demographics, it seems that one has had a significantly bigger splash than the other. Heads of State currently sits at a commendable 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has kept its position as Prime Video’s top streaming flick all week round. Meanwhile, The Old Guard 2 has struggled to maintain its audience, being beaten out on Netflix’s movie chart by the acclaimed animated flick KPop Demon Hunters, which is still going strong as it goes into its fourth weekend of release. The Old Guard 2 sits at an unfortunate 23% from critics and a shockingly low 37% score from audiences, who tend to be more favorable of big-budget streaming fare. So why is it that The Old Guard 2 couldn’t repeat the original’s success, while Heads of State enjoys a very solid launch for its streamer?

‘The Old Guard 2’ Loses the Plot

Charlize Theron in The Old Guard 2 — Image via Netflix

When The Old Guard debuted on Netflix mid-pandemic in 2020, the film quickly became a major streaming hit, impressing critics and audiences alike with its interesting mythology, stylish action sequences, and solid cast. It adapted its source material— about a group of covert mercenaries who happen to also be immortal— rather faithfully, entertaining while not losing sight of its fascinating depiction of immortality and what it means to be alive when you cannot die. It may not be the most compelling exploration of morality in cinema, but it had far more brains than the average Netflix action flick, and Charlize Theron’s chemistry with KiKi Layne gave the film a fun “Old-timer teaches the rookie” vibe to it, which is an undeniably effective trope when used right, and in this case, it was.

But whereas the original Old Guard kept things tight and in-the-pocket, the sequel instead steeps itself in heaps of convoluted lore, bringing in new characters such as Uma Thurman‘s villainous Discord and ally-turned-enemy Quynh, played by Veronica Ngô, and further complicating was initially a very succinct story of immortal beings grappling with their existence. Even the action takes a backseat this time in favor of long, drawn-out scenes of exposition that quickly become more mind-numbing than engaging due to a weak script and actors who seem just as bored with the material as the audience is watching it. The Old Guard 2 loses the simplicity of its predecessor and prioritizes building out its world and characters in the least compelling manner possible, making it a bit of a slog to even get through.

‘Heads of State’ Values Simplicity Over Substance, in a Good Way

John Cena, Idris Elba, and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas on the poster for Heads of State. — Image via Amazon MGM Studios

Heads of State, in contrast to The Old Guard 2, knows that simplicity is key to the success of many films, which is exactly why it has been a far bigger streaming success. The film follows movie-star-turned-President Will Derringer (Cena) and Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba), two heads of state (oh, now I get it) who’ve been notoriously at odds with one another, yet decide to put their differences aside for the sake of their two nations. However, when Air Force One is hijacked and the two are stranded in enemy territory near the border of Poland, the two must work together to stop the nefarious plot they’ve found themselves caught up in. All the while, Prime Minister Clarke’s ex-girlfriend and senior MI6 operative, Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), joins the two on their adventure after her crew is taken out in an operation gone wrong.

John Cena and Idris Elba in Heads of State

‘Heads of State’ Review: John Cena and Idris Elba’s Prime Video Action-Comedy Is Stupid in All the Right Ways

Against all odds, ‘Heads of State’ is far better than you’d think it’d be.

See, that was much easier to explain than whatever the plot of The Old Guard 2 was supposed to be! Heads of State doesn’t bother to drown out its stars’ kinetic banter for elongated sequences of convoluted exposition that begin to make less and less sense as time goes on. Director Ilya Naishuller (who previously made 2016’s Hardcore Henry and 2021’s Nobody) keeps his film tight, while still delivering on the stylish action scenes and jolts of comedic energy that he’s become reliable at delivering. Cena and Elba are a match made in Heaven, playing off of each other wonderfully as they build on their Peacemaker-Bloodsport dynamic from The Suicide Squad and make these two world leaders feel like nice, genuine guys who just want to do good for their countries, a concept that seems more and more like fantasy these days.

‘Heads of State’ Has More in Common With the First ‘Old Guard’ Than It Does With the Second

Heads of State works in a very similar way to the first Old Guard film, despite being of a completely separate genre. The original Old Guard understood the assignment and delivered on a fun action spectacle while still having enough brains as to not feel frivolous and forgettable. The film seems to have stuck with audiences, which is why The Old Guard 2‘s betrayal of the first film’s simplicity is so disappointing. The Old Guard 2 offers some interesting ideas, especially with the complicated dynamic between the characters of Andy and Quynh, but it never capitalizes on its potential, resulting in a messy bore without any of the original’s flair. The Old Guard will continue to be remembered as one of Netflix’s best big-budget endeavors, while The Old Guard 2 seems destined to be forgotten in the sea of mediocre Netflix originals.

Heads of State knows exactly what it is and plays it up wholeheartedly, basking in the ridiculousness of its premise in what is a very solid buddy action comedy. It doesn’t do anything especially new or inventive, but it doesn’t have to; it just needs two great leads with strong chemistry to go along with some exciting action set pieces, and that’s exactly what the film delivers in spades. It not only delivers on everything a streaming flick should be, but it also gives US-based audiences a great pick for the holiday weekend, with a message of acceptance and teamwork that is so desperately needed right now. Heads of State‘s strong performance on streaming harkens back to that of the first Old Guard film, showing how simplicity can be a superpower in and of itself.