Nobody was released at an interesting time. The pandemic was still in full swing and people hadn't fully gone back to theaters just yet. It was a middle-of-the-road action movie that was occasionally thrilling. It had interesting themes that it didn't follow through on and Bob Odenkirk's performance elevated its entertainment value.
Its sequel, Nobody 2, follows in a very similar vein, though Odin Kirk's Hutch Mansell isn't hiding who he is from his wife Becca, played by Connie Nielsen, and their two kids, Brady and Sammy. He's now beating up and killing people full-time to pay off a $30 million debt to the Barber after Hutch burnt the Obshak to a crisp in the first movie.
Even auditors need breaks. So Hutch takes his family to Plumberville where his father, played by Christopher Lloyd, took him and his brother Harry, played by RZA, when they were kids. Naturally, Hutch can't escape the job as he goes up against Sharon Stone's ruthless Lendina, the face behind an entire bootlegging operation.
Teimo Chianto takes over directing responsibilities, though the look and feel of the sequel isn't all that different from its predecessor. Written by Derek Colstad and Aaron Rabin, Nobody 2 is just as violent and gory as the first movie, but it's also a bit funnier to watch with a theater audience.
Here, the theme is escaping one's nature. "Wherever you go, there you are," the barber tells Hutch. And Nobody 2 isn't all that concerned with challenging that at all. Almost immediately, the film leans into that and Hutch barely blinks. He tells his son to show restraint even as he beats people to a pulp, failing to lead by example.
In the first half of the film, Becca keeps trying to talk to Hutch about how his job is cutting into his family time and keeping him at a distance. That conversation never materializes and Nobody 2 seems to resolve any marital tension by the end without having done the work.
This would be more frustrating if the story didn't move at such a fast pace. At 89 minutes long, there's rarely a dull moment as the narrative moves from one point to another. The action isn't overwhelming either, as Nobody 2 includes it when needed without relying solely on it to entertain. It's not particularly memorable, but it is more than serviceable.
But nothing works as much as the cast's interactions. Nobody 2's story would have been considered less than mediocre without Odenkirk's wry humor. The actor balances the angry brutality of fight sequences with the down-to-earth sincerity required in family scenes. It's very believable, and Odenkirk is truly adept at pulling it off.
With a game cast and engaging action set pieces, you'll be entertained by Nobody 2. It's a breezy film that doesn't overstay its welcome. It won't be memorable in the long run, but we get exactly what's expected for the most part. Its themes could have been better explored, especially since they're introduced in a way that suggests an importance beyond hand-wave dismissal. But it's easy to overlook that and enjoy the ride.
