Back in 2021, just as Better Call Saul was ending, Bob Odenkirk suddenly showed his action skills in Nobody. The movie was an insanely violent and fun ride, giving Odenkirk a chance to add some interesting layers to his mild-mannered family man, exploring repressed rage and acting out ultimate wishes through a twisted perspective. The film was also small enough to be a decent hit, leading to a sequel. Nobody 2 cares even less about a heavy emotional story. Instead, it makes up for it with exciting action, building on the characters we already know, and enough ambition on a budget to deliver a fun, exhilarating movie experience.
Once again, Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, a family man who, up until recently, was taking time away from being an expert government assassin. Based on the damage Hutch caused in the previous film, he is now working odd jobs for his handler (Colin Salmon) as a means to pay off his debt. However, the work is taking a toll on his family life, as he’s spending more and more time away from his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), and children, Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath).
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Hutch’s solution – take a family vacation at the tourist town of Plummerville, where his father (Christopher Lloyd, a retired FBI agent) took him and his adopted brother, Harry (RZA), when they were kids. Unfortunately, it seems as though Plummerville is no longer just the location of a fun waterpark and other river-themed activities, as a corrupt sheriff (Colin Hanks) and various townsfolk have other plans in mind, which Hutch can’t help but interject himself into.
At 89 minutes, there is almost zero fat in this film. Everything that happens is related to plot, action, or important character points. Yes, there are notable character moments scattered throughout this film, which do help to keep the Nobody series grounded. In the last movie, Hutch was experiencing a midlife crisis based on the noble choice to leave a certain lifestyle behind. This time around, having come to terms with his abilities, Hutch’s focus is on creating memories for his family, acknowledging that while he may not be around forever, he can instill good values in his children and ideally have them obtain a life more worthwhile than his own.
vhe screenplay by Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin is just clever enough to let us consider why things are happening to Hutch the way they are, and what his state of mind is, before allowing the action unfold, and leaving the audience in a different sort of state, as they watch a variety of elaborate fights take place, doing well to utilize this ridiculous tourist town location. It’s something to applaud as far as seeing how far a trifle like this can go to have us appreciate our protagonists, despite the over-the-top violence that we know is coming.
Much of that success comes down to solid filmmaking, and while everyone may not have initially been more than a little excited about a sequel to Nobody, of all films, action movie fans were well aware of the upgrade that could potentially come from director Timo Tjahjanto taking over for Ilya Naishuller. Now, it’s not as though the first film didn’t deliver when it came time to elaborately choreographed spectacle. The bus fight in Nobody is a true action highlight for this decade. That said, as his first US feature film, Tjahjanto, who has earned a reputation for hardcore action films such as The Night Comes For Us, puts a firm hand on this sequel and makes sure the movie isn’t lacking in well-staged fight scenes.
Yes, Tjahjanto is also able to balance the tension and humor quite well, in anticipation of the sequences where Hutch is forced to go wild on those providing opposition, but there is a lot to admire in the handling of the action here. An early scene in an elevator shows what can be accomplished in a tight space, while a couple of more open area brawls let the camera moves and placement show how effective these scenes can be when a skilled director puts their hand to it. Perhaps the biggest standout may prove to be the film’s most openly comedic fight (a Jackie Chan homage, if nothing else), which finds Hutch battling at the back of a moving tour boat with several others, while the tour is unaware of what’s taking place.
Naturally, all of this is building towards an eventual large-scale finale, and while I can say it delivers the good in a variety of ways, I’d rather mention some of the other people involved. RZA and Lloyd, once again, make up an inexplicably great team with Odenkirk. While the three don’t share a ton of screen time, there’s just something that feels right about these specific casting choices. Seeing each of them shine with some signature moments during this explosive, theme park-set finale doesn’t hurt either.
Villain-wise, while Hanks enjoys playing an overly confident, corrupt sheriff, John Ortiz earns plenty of praise for bringing a good amount of pathos to his theme park operator character (there’s not much to this guy, but Ortiz is such a strong character actor that you feel like you practically know his life story after a few scenes). All of that said, Sharon Stone appears as Lendina, the mastermind behind a bootlegging operation that relies on Plummerville, and she’s a hoot. Instead of trying to add any unnecessary depth to this character, Lendina simply delights in being a nasty villain. She stares at her prey, taunts them, goes after them with an assortment of blades, and has no desire to feel anything other than satisfied with how evil she knows she is. Stone has maybe 10 minutes of screentime, but she’s clearly having the time of her life.
All of this adds up to a briskly-paced, action-packed summer escape film. It’s ultimately good-natured in terms of having us understand Hutch’s role in all of this, and what he hopes to get out of his choices. That said, this is a film that’s willing to let him do some pretty crazy things with all kinds of assorted tools he finds along the way. Knowing that Odenkirk has kept up his training and does a majority of his stunts only adds to the quirkiness of having an action series built around the former co-host of Mr. Show, let alone everyone’s favorite Albuquerque lawyer. Whether or not there are further adventures for Hutch in store for us (we should at least get a Nobody 3, because triples are best), I do appreciate that Tjahanto and the screenwriters took what worked and didn’t necessarily blow it up to sky high levels, but amplified it in all the right ways, and left us with a very fun hitman’s holiday.
Nobody 2 opens in theaters on August 15, 2025.
