By George & Josh Bate
In 2021, Bob Odenkirk made the transition from television icon to action movie star with Nobody. The action film from 87North Productions (the team behind John Wick, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy) may not have broke new ground for the action genre, but the transformation of the often mild-mannered Odenkirk, known for his more comedic role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad, into a bad ass John Wick-esque figure and well-crafted combat made for an enjoyable, wish-fulfillment thrill ride. Four years later, a sequel arrives that, while largely retaining its predecessor’s visceral and violent action, disappoints in being little more than a routine, uninspired action flick.
Nobody 2 begins as Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) struggles to balance his profession as an assassin-for-hire with his life as a family man. To become closer with his increasingly detached wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) and kids Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), Hutch and his family embark on a vacation to a small town known for its water park, arcades, theme park, and family fun. Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, Hutch’s proclivity for violence emerges when locals bully his kids, leading to an ever-escalating conflict with an aggressive sheriff (Colin Hanks) and an eccentric crime lord (Sharon Stone).
The appeal of Nobody came from the unconventionality of its star Bob Odenkirk being a secret former assassin and the slow build up to the seemingly gentle family man embracing his dark side again as his family eventually discovers the truth about him. As a follow-up, Nobody 2 loses the proverbial punch of its predecessor as Odenkirk’s action movie star status is no longer novel and Hutch’s family already know of his violent background. The delight that came from the actor known for his comedy work with David Cross and playing Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul do the unexpected and become a suburban John Wick is no longer as shocking as it once was, given there’s already a 90+ minute movie depicting this transformation. And, with Hutch’s family now knowing of his shady past, the sequel lacks the intrigue and suspense that comes from Hutch trying to keep his past concealed from his picture-perfect family. In losing these two critical elements that made Nobody so compelling, Nobody 2 devolves into standard action film territory and lacks the spark necessary to make it stand out amongst the plethora of similar movies.
The film’s action draws inspiration from the John Wick franchise, with the camera often taking a backseat in order to let the excitement come from the performers and choreography. If the film was made 10-15 years ago, this action would have made for gripping, novel viewing, but, in an era in which so many films have been inspired by the combat of John Wick (look no further than Ballerina this summer), Nobody 2 falls to bring anything new to the action genre. This isn’t to say the film is devoid of well-choreographed action – in fact, it is filled to the brim with impressive set-pieces featuring a committed Odenkirk and creatively incorporating aspects of the environment into the violence. And, in this sense, director Timo Tjahjanto’s film will likely satisfy less demanding moviegoers simply eager to watch punches land, bullets fly, and teeth knocked out. For those wanting a bit more substance and creativity, however, Nobody 2 misses the mark.
Also awry is a dull script largely devoid of comedy. It is not that Nobody 2 features poor attempts at humor; rather, it shockingly fails to even go for laughs most of the time, outside of the odd chuckle that comes from seeing someone be knocked out by a telephone or mowed down by 86-year-old Christopher Lloyd wielding a massive machinegun. For a more heightened action film that teeters the line between serious and heightened, the scarcity of wit, even in the form of clever one-liners, renders Nobody 2 a far less crowd-pleasing venture than the original.
Without strong dialogue, the film squanders the immense talent of Odenkirk. The Illinois-born actor does his absolute best with the material at his disposal, fully throwing himself in an array of complicated action scenes and playing the disgruntled assassin-meets-father/husband to perfection. Nonetheless, one can’t help but want more from an actor of Odenkirk’s caliber here amidst a story that struggles to give Hutch much of an arc.
Marking the rare element Nobody 2 surpasses its predecessor with, the film gives more room for its supporting players to shine. Connie Nielsen, RZA, and Sharon Stone all deliver scene-stealing performances and, collectively, are responsible for the film’s most cheer-worthy moments. While Nielsen’s Becca remains underdeveloped, she has some satisfying moments in the film, as does RZA, who returns as Hutch’s adoptive brother (now wielding a katana, as one would expect from RZA). Sharon Stone, meanwhile, chews up the scenery as the film’s vicious and over-the-top antagonist. Although Stone is woefully underused, she makes the most of every scene she features in and crafts a formidable antagonist for Hutch to face off against.
Odenkirk and the noteworthy supporting cast feature in a story that is best characterized as John Wick meets National Lampoon’s Vacation (with a dose of Home Alone in the end). There is nothing particularly novel about the narrative, even though the potential to explore the rising aggression in Hutch’s son, mirroring his father’s penchant for violence, is disappointingly unfulfilled. At least the film isn’t marred by unnecessarily convoluted plotting, a frustrating hindrance to many modern action movies. That being said, the mere ability to follow an action movie’s story without difficulty is hardly the highest of praise.
VERDICT: 5.5/10
Unlike its delightfully violent, wish-fulfillment thrill ride of a predecessor, Nobody 2 disappoints as a routine, uninspired action flick. Director Timo Tjahjanto’s film loses the two critical elements that made Nobody so compelling as the novelty of seeing Bob Odenkirk as a suburban John Wick has faded and his character’s family is already privy to his background as an assassin, thus largely losing the first movie’s sense of intrigue and tension. Impressive, well-choreographed action setpieces brought to life by a committed Odenkirk that creatively incorporate components of the environment make for engaging viewing, even if they are nothing moviegoers haven’t seen in the post-John Wick era of action movies. A shocking scarcity of attempts at humor, outside of action scenes, sees the film squander the immense talent of Odenkirk, although the Better Call Saul actor does superbly with the limited material at his disposal. Supporting cast members Connie Nielsen, RZA, and Sharon Stone, meanwhile, all shine with scene-stealing, crowd-pleasing moments amidst a run-of-the-mill story best characterized as John Wick meets National Lampoon’s Vacation. Largely through its star Odenkirk, Nobody had enough spark to mostly overcome its lack of ingenuity. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Nobody 2, which, rather than stand out as noteworthy, will join the ranks of serviceable, yet forgettable action movies.