‘Nobody 2’ review: A flat family vacation

Bob Odenkirk is back as a stripped-down action hero on vacation and off his game in the brief, but boring Nobody 2.

It’s easy to forget how influential Die Hard was, is, and always will be. John McTiernan’s 1988 blockbuster is not only well-written, expertly staged, and perfectly executed, but it also redefined what an action movie star could be. In the era of impervious muscle men unloading boxes of bullets at bad guys, seeing scruffy everyman John McLane get his face busted open by imposing thieves and pick glass out of his feet was a breath of fresh air. Bruce Willis’s presence as an unassuming average joe just barely surviving guns and gangs opened the door for a whole new generation of action stars. If the smirking guy from Moonlighting could kick ass, maybe one half of Wyld Stallyns could too? Or maybe the Fresh Prince? Heck, why not some old Irish character actor?

That realm of possibilities may have reached its limit with Nobody. The 2021 riff on Death Wish-style revenge thrillers cast Emmy-winning comedy veteran Bob Odenkrik (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) as a mild-mannered suburbanite who goes after a Russian crime gang no matter how many times he gets punched in the face. An amusing premise on paper, Nobody didn’t bring much else to the table other than the underplayed gag of seeing the unassuming 50-something Odenkirk try to be Charles Bronson. That same problem plagues Nobody 2, which sees Odenkirk’s secret badass Hutch take his wife (Connie Nielsen), kids, and elderly father (Christopher Lloyd) on vacation to a riverside community. Though needing a break from punching and shooting people, Hutch discovers a secret crime ring led by the town sheriff (John Ortiz), his deputy (Colin Hanks), and a more sinister boss (Sharon Stone).

Punching up.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

Setting aside the mildly funny premise of “what if National Lampoon’s Vacation was interrupted by an action movie,” Nobody 2 doesn’t have much else to work with. The script from returning writer Derek Kolstad (the John Wick franchise) and new scribe Aaron Rabin (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) isn’t funny enough to be a satire of modern action movies or dramatic enough to ever be taken seriously. By the time the movie gets to its “whacky” climax with Hutch and friends taking out bad guys in a rigged amusement park, the violent traps and Lloyd having a blast with a gatling gun are too little too late for any of the movie’s prior 80 minutes to be memorable. Hutch doesn’t have a compelling backstory or character development worthy of investment, nor does he have any funny one-liners (ironic or not). That drab presence drags the movie for most of its runtime. Not even RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan showing up with a samurai sword can liven things up.

At the very least, Nobody 2 does level-up its action scenes. While the first Nobody has a gritty simplicity to its beatdowns, the sequel has more elaborate, over-the-top fights that are welcome bits of levity. All credit goes to director Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us) and his stunt team for throwing in just the right amount of blood and brutality that Odenkirk (and his doubles) could believably handle. There are even comic touches to the fights, including a warehouse beatdown shot entirely outside the building that uses sound effects and the audience’s imagination to get by. It’s almost a Looney Tunes gag and features cleverness that the rest of the movie sorely needs.

Throwing the fight.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

Yes, Odenkirk is excellent casting for what the movie is going for. He has an impish presence and a harmless demeanor, which works for the movie’s gag of average man becoming avenging hero. The problem is that Odenkirk doesn’t have much else to work with and even less screen time to build any kind of interesting connection with anyone else. Nielsen is a solid actor, but she does nothing but talk to the kids and give generic monologues about Hutch putting his violent past behind. Ortiz and Hanks are usually dependable character actors, if only they had a little more time to antagonize Odenkirk for a fun back-and-forth. Lloyd and RZA are signs of a more fun movie begging to break out, but both of them are saved for a fun (if slightly underwhelming) finale.

Speaking of fun…it’s THE Sharon Stone. The Oscar nominee is deserving of something much more fun and ridiculous because she’s playing the best James Bond villain in a decade. She enters the frame looking like the sister of Atomic Blonde, livens up the makeshift casino space, and then stabs a prickly gambler twice in glorious fashion. The biggest sin of Nobody 2 is only using Stone in the climax because she clearly has the energy and charisma to be the Joker to Odenkirk’s Batman. No matter how forgettable Nobody 2 is, hopefully it warrants a major comeback for Stone.

The bottom line.

Nobody 2 is an unnecessary sequel with even less to work with than its predecessor. It has a boring story, bland dialogue, and unenthused actors desperately needing direction any time there isn’t a fight scene happening. While said fights offer some much-needed energy, they’re few and far between. Does this mean we need to go back to the days of mega muscle action stars? No, but it does feel like we’re at a crossroads with action movies that either need to get more real or really funny.

Nobody 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures. 

Jon Winkler