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The central plot of the Bob Odenkirk-led Nobody 2 can be summed up in a sentence: Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) wants to take his family on vacation. You may be wondering: how does that end up in a butt-kicking mission?
It's simple, really. Trouble follows Hutch. And he inadvertently gets himself involved in a mess when he brings his family to the same theme park his dad took him and his brother to during their “one and only” childhood vacation.
If you haven't seen Nobody, the sequel does not punish you for it. However, the ramifications of the events of the first movie do have implications on the sequel. Hutch takes the Russian crime family's money and sets it aflame.
Totally badass, right? It was, but now, Hutch has been roped into his old line of work once again, paying off the millions he now owes.
The daily grind is starting to get to him, prompting him to want a “break.” The Barber (Colin Salmon), who is now his boss, warns him that that won't happen. Still, a burnt-out Hutch is dead-set on “making memories,” as the Better Call Saul star laments several times, and takes his family to the theme park along with his father, David Mansell (Christopher Lloyd).
Timo Tjahjanto takes over the director's chair from Ilya Naishuller. Derek Kolstad returns as a writer, but he is joined by Aaron Rabin this time around.
The changes behind the camera result in a refreshed aesthetic this time around. The action remains similar, but visually, Nobody 2 sheds the overly grimy look of the first.
Does Nobody 2 somewhat harken back to the Ed Helms-led Vacation remake? Yes. But it's an improvement over its predecessor while remaining just as (if not more) fun than it.
Nobody 2 review
Right off the bat, Nobody 2 makes it clear that it is not a simple retread. Hutch gets another montage of his mundane life. Initially, he seems happier. He is getting the garbage out on time (for the most part), and he is seemingly happy with his family life; though there is some tension between he and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen).
Eventually, the grind of his job gets to him, resulting in the vacation. Nobody had the tall task of fitting action scenes into the 90-minute runtime after setting up Hutch's character arc.
He was once a seemingly impotent man living an inconsequential life. His past reared its ugly head when he accidentally beat up the son of a mobster.
Not to bash Naishuller's work, as he did a good job with the first Nobody movie. The movie's dark aesthetic makes it seem fit for something from the Snyderverse. It made it feel realistic, to some degree.
Now, Tjahjanto brings a new light to the sequel (literally). It's almost a complete 180 from the last one, but it works in the sequel's favor.
Was a sequel necessary?
Nobody was not a movie that needed a follow-up. It works as a self-contained story about a man rediscovering his purpose. Of course, a standalone movie has become rarer than ever these days, and now we have a sequel.
Taking the Mansell family on the road was a smart choice. Road trips are a go-to story vehicle for sequels, and in the case of Nobody 2, it's easy to see why.
New locations open the story up for the Mansell family to interacting with new characters. Among those are Henry (John Ortiz) — the operator of the theme park — and his son, Max (Lucius Hoyos), who picks a fight with Hutch's aggressive son, Brady (Gage Munroe). There's also Abel, the shady sheriff of the town, who is played masterfully by Colin Hanks, who has a knack for playing the unlikable.
From their first encounter, it's clear there's tension. Abel believes he runs that town, and Hanks portrays him in a way that makes you believe that he believes it. Abel is the classic antagonist that you actively root against, waiting for his demise. That's a credit to Hanks's ability. He may not have a lot of range, but this is his niche.
Hutch just wants a wholesome family vacation, but his actions put him on a collision course with Lendina (Sharon Stone), the unhinged leader of a bootlegging operation.
Bob Odenkirk does it again
Not once does it feel like Hutch is in danger. At this point, it is all but confirmed that Hutch is nearing John Wick-levels of invincibility. Every time he looks down for the count, he rises to his feet.
Odenkirk once again delivers a badass performance. The role is vastly different from his past work, and he has figured out the character. Odenkirk strikes the right notes between an everyman and an assassin.
The best part of his performance is his increasingly dry delivery of his lines. He delivers them while disassociating, which works for who Hutch is. There is also a moment that kicks Hutch into gear, and you can see the expression change on Odenkirk's face once his family vacation is ruined.
He has made a living off playing mundane people with a twist. Even his character on The Office — which was Michael Scott with a Bob Dylan impression — was nothing out of the ordinary.
Again, the action is even more ridiculous than the set pieces in the first. He beat up a bus filled with people last time. Now, he is fighting corrupt cops and hoodlums on duck boats.
The Nobody movies committed to their bit earlier than the Fast & Furious series. Hutch is unlikely to ever die, should they make more of these, and your sole role as an audience member is to enjoy the ride.
There are some brutal moments of action, and some humorous ones like when Odenkirk slams a guy in the head repeatedly with a Whack-A-Mole mallet.
Should you watch Nobody 2?
If you haven't seen Nobody, you can still enjoy Nobody 2. It's a rare sequel that doesn't require homework if you don't wish to do any.
Bob Odenkirk once again plays the best everyman-turned-assassin in the business. At this point, he has reached the level of invincibility seen with John Wick and Dominic Torretto. He may be even stronger.
That's what summer blockbusters are for. No one will argue that Nobody 2 is the next Oscar-winning masterpiece, but it may be in the action genre. Very few movies are able to have fun and not take themselves seriously. The Nobody series lacks the righteousness of the family-driven Fast & Furious franchise, and Hutch isn't mowing through hundreds of bodies like John Wick.
The plots also move briskly, especially in Nobody 2. Kolstad and Rabin know that everyone is going for the action. Luckily, the first fight occurs within the first 10 minutes or so. There's no room to be bored in the TikTok age, where people multitask more than ever.
After two Nobody movies, it's finally time to concede that Bob Odenkirk is somebody.
Nobody 2 will be released on August 15.
