Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is on vacation. But trouble keeps following him wherever he goes. The last time we saw him, the otherwise mild-mannered Hutch, who led a mundane life, took a drastic turn after encountering thugs on the bus and a home invasion, before unleashing hell against the Russian mafia.
Part of what Nobody works for the first time around lies in the unlikely casting of Bob Odenkirk, best known for his iconic role as Saul Goodman in TV’s Breaking Bad and its spin-off, Better Call Saul. Produced under the 87North Productions banner, the company behind the lucrative John Wick franchise, with David Leitch serving as a co-producer, the first Nobody packs a visceral punch in the action department. Not to mention Odenkirk’s scene-stealing gruff antihero, who also convincingly pulls off a physically demanding performance.
It took four years for Odenkirk’s Hutch to return for the sequel but instead of potentially expanding the mythology surrounding the titular nobody, franchise newcomer Timo Tjahjanto and returning screenwriter Derek Kolstad, with Aaron Rabin of TV’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan providing additional input, chose to stick to the formula. Like the first movie, the sequel opens with a battered Hutch sitting inside an interrogation room with two FBI agents interrogating him. It was a déjà vu experience, though not entirely so, before the story flashes back to how it all happens.
The sequel wastes little time putting Hutch back into action as he helps his former handler, “The Barber” (Colin Salmon), run some dirty errands. Errands that end with Hutch beating bad guys to a pulp, as seen in their earlier fight scenes in the elevator and the parking lot. He’s been so busy that he neglects what matters to him the most: his family. So, he decides to make it up to them, particularly his long-suffering wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), by planning a family vacation. The destination? A road trip to his childhood resort town called Plummerville, which also has an amusement park.
Everything goes well at first as Hutch spends quality time with his wife alongside their two children, Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), and his father, David (Christopher Lloyd). Too bad it doesn’t take long before the violence starts, thanks to a jealous teenager and an overwhelming security guard at an arcade. Brady got into a fight, and later, his younger sister got smacked on the back of the head by the security guard. Big mistake, and Hutch sees it.
Next thing you know, it’s payback time as Hutch walks his family out of the hostile situation first before going back in, and teaches them a lesson. The incident draws the attention of the town’s corrupt sheriff (Colin Hanks) and the amusement park owner, Wyatt (John Ortiz), who send in their men to rough up Hutch for causing the trouble. The sequel doesn’t try anything new here since the story is more of a placeholder for Hutch to engage in hand-to-hand combat and other forms of violence.
The good thing is that Nobody 2 only runs a scant 89 minutes because I can’t imagine this one stretching out to a two-hour length. With Tjahjanto replacing Ilya Naishuller from the first movie, calling the shots, the sequel is in good hands. This is especially true with the action scenes, and given Tjahjanto’s experience in the genre in the past, such as The Night Comes for Us and The Big 4, he doesn’t disappoint here. Expect plenty of mean-spirited brutality and violence that blends action and comedy as Hutch takes on a bunch of bad guys trying to ruin his day.
Tjahjanto’s dynamic camerawork is put to good use, ensuring every act of grit and carnage is viscerally felt. Whether it’s the aforementioned elevator fight or the brute encounter aboard the duck boat, each set piece is well-choreographed with none of the annoying shaky-cam aesthetics. Tjahjanto even incorporates the use of random objects as makeshift weapons for Hutch to so-called de-escalate the situation. Then, there’s the all-hell-breaks-loose third act during the climactic showdown in the amusement park. I can’t help but it somehow reminds me of the final scene in the much-maligned Beverly Hills Cop 3, except that Nobody 2 is leaning more on the R-rated mayhem, complete with deadly booby traps and lots of explosions.
The novelty factor may have been gone after the first movie, but the fun remains intact. Odenkirk’s Hutch remains one of the major reasons to watch here, while the sequel equally benefits from notable supporting turns, including Colin Hanks’ shady sheriff role and Sharon Stone, looking all unhinged with a slicked-back hairstyle, playing the main antagonist, Lendina. She sure knows how to make an entrance during a scene in the casino, where she doesn’t get her hands dirty, punishing the players for attempting to cheat in a game. If only Nobody 2 could have spent more time level up its otherwise flimsy storytelling, that would be a bonus.
