Nobody 2 Review

Rare it may be that a vacation is more stressful than daily life, but it is possible. Nobody 2 uses that and a whole host of other everyday facts of life to set the scene for its plot. Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is back and has more to prove for the Better Call Saul star. Nobody was a rough-around-the-edges masterstroke from Ilya Naishuller and Derek Kolstad, who managed to capture the vibrancy of John Wick with the lighter, convincing edge Odenkirk can offer a serious role. Kolstad is kept on and, with Aaron Rabin, writes a solid selection of moments which are tangentially strung together, connected by the suggestion of a family holiday. It plays up the action pieces of the first film, feels like a copy in spots, but is an ultimately satisfying return to the Mansell family, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. When the bar for action films is so low, it’s pretty easy to vault over into quality territory.  

Once more the family man is thrown into a situation which is overwhelming for the everyday person but run-of-the-mill for a renowned assassin. Odenkirk plays this back-and-forth up well, never giving in to either side of the character but bringing that charm across once more. Less than the first, though. It will be no great surprise to those who have seen how sequels progress to note that Nobody 2 is a lesser version of Nobody. If you loved the first, you will like the second. If you liked the first, then you can at least appreciate the brisk running time and balance between necessary plot progression and action-packed blowouts. There’s little time to flesh out new characters, but they play up to their roles well. Sharon Stone is a fine enough villain, where the depths of her character are shown in montage rather than anything of meaningful value.  

It’s the same for Colin Hanks’ well-played, annoying sheriff Abel and screen veteran John Ortiz. The rest are copied over from the first film, with Christopher Lloyd and Connie Nielsen familiar faces to keep the action whirring. RZA, too, appears in what verges on a cameo, but checks the comedy and action box in one extended scene. Nobody 2 does not set a low standard, but it has a clear route through. A no-nonsense approach to storytelling here may feel a bit like a step down from the first, and that’s because it is. Tensions which bring the Mansell family to their holiday destination are never revisited once a larger, dangerous presence is introduced. It’s resolved through the Home Alone-like action-packed finale, which wishes its supporting villains had names or personalities beyond not wearing balaclavas.  

Still, there are worse ways to pad out the antagonists of a film, where their slicked-back hair and black clothing are enough to note them as villainous. Give yourself a long enough break from the action genre, and you can appreciate the simplicity of Nobody 2. It lacks the allure and mystery built into the first film because those moments were one-and-done. A lighter tone is inevitable and welcome, too, for those wanting to see the guts and gore of the action genre but played up with a comedic filter. It is not Odenkirk who does this, though, the surprise straight man to the hijinks seen elsewhere. He is a magnet for madness, and his dedication to the action genre, along with the rest of the cast, is what makes Nobody 2 at least worth a watch.