Nobody 2

 This review may contain spoilers!

Nobody 2 is a direct sequel to Nobody (2021) and follows Hutch Mansell as he continues to try and pay back the debt he accrued when he torched the assets of the Russian mob. Once again struggling to walk the line between family man and hitman, Hutch elects to take his family on a trip to his favourite childhood vacation spot. However, it is only a matter of time before Hutch's violent nature lands him and his family in danger once again.

What this sequel got right from a very early point was capturing the thing that is most interesting about Hutch's character. Hutch is a figure who seems to have a loose moral code and a sense of justice to boot; both of these qualities fuel the thing he does best: beating the crap out of others. Hutch is a vigilante figure intent on 'doing the right thing' but often allowing this consuming rage to dictate violence as his method of response. This is a film that often posits that Hutch cannot escape his violent side, which is akin to his very nature. A fascinating internal conflict for our protagonist to have.

The strength of Nobody 2 is the stunt work; from start to finish, the thing that is unshakeable is how brilliant the action looks. I found this film had a real desire to get creative with the bouts of violence scattered throughout, which made you immediately tune in a little more during the fight sequences.

Christopher Lloyd, who played David Mansell, struggles with his delivery at times but manages a decent comedic performance; I enjoyed how uncouth and ready for action Lloyd was. Colin Hanks, who played Sheriff Abel, was probably the most interesting antagonist this film had; Hanks had a mean edge to him and a blind ambition to get to the top of his boss's good graces. Gage Munroe, who played Brady Mansell, was a lot more interesting with his own storyline in this feature; Munroe gets to explore a teenager lashing out with violence in the name of justice, the same way his father is. 

However, the best performance came from Bob Odenkirk, who played Hutch Mansell. Odenkirk is a pretty safe hand on the wheel with this character; he understands the balance between comedy and gritty action hero. Hutch is a lot more openly brutal this time around; in fact, he just can't contain his violent streak. I enjoyed seeing how Odenkirk grappled with Hutch's violent sense of justice, particularly when he tried to put a lid on it across the film. Odenkirk just sells the everyday suburban Dad figure so well that the contrast to the surprise action hero tends to work. He also understands how to pull elements of comedy out of a scene, whether that's finding the comedic throughline or just plain solid line delivery. Odenkirk is so sincere in his work, and that makes him a genuine protagonist you want to see come out on top.

Nobody 2 is akin to watching a star pupil suddenly have a bad week and rush their latest assignment. You expect and hope for good things, but there's no denying that many corners were cut, and a significant amount of thought just isn't there. This sequel throws Hutch back into the same grinding day-to-day pattern, with a renewed focus on him being a hitman/mercenary figure. Yet, this is presented with a lot of exposition and a strangely familiar sensation to the opening act of the first Nobody. Hutch still can't get it right with his family; he's still trying to prove himself in their eyes, and the inciting incident is still something bad that happens to Sammy. This is a sequel that just does not know how to grow from itself. The idea of a family vacation winds up landing as more of a novelty element, so we can have Hutch fight in a water park in the final act. There is a whole local conflict between two crime bosses that Hutch gets tangled in, but this crime story is remarkably underbaked. The main antagonist of Lendina enters the feature quite late and is played crazy for the sheer randomness of it, and not for effect. This film also tries to indicate that Hutch's wife, Becca, has a mysterious, cool past and skill set. This doesn't really track from the first film and feels more like a plot thread to hook the leading actress back than something done to serve the plot. The film ends with all the fighting being resolved, but Hutch is still in debt, and the circumstances of his life haven't really been resolved. Overall, the movie fails to really move the Mansell family along at all.

The most disappointing thing for me was that this movie just didn't look good; it was often obvious how shots were set to capture a pyrotechnic or a squib shot. The editing also set a rather dull pace that didn't support the speed of the stunt choreography. I found the soundtrack of the film to often be played for an easy joke or a cheap moment. 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion really added nothing to the final act.

Connie Nielsen, who played Becca Mansell, really played a character who seemed like she was waiting for her big moment all film; I just found Nielsen's big swing into the limelight in this feature to be very artificial. John Ortiz, who played Wyatt Martin, was completely miscast as a local crime boss; Ortiz, being a single father crime boss was a peculiar blend of a character that lacked impact on the story. RZA, who played Harry Mansell, had this strange spiritual element this time around that didn't gel with everything else going on; RZA was just hankering for a fight scene with a katana, and he got it. Sharon Stone, who played Lendina, is in this to play an over-the-top, crazy crime boss with vague motives; Stone is really overselling it in every scene she has. Paisley Cadorath, who played Sammy Mansell, is used more to kick the story off, but without any of the engagement with her actual role; Cadorath sits in the background of scenes a lot and doesn't get her time to shine. Colin Salmon, who played The Barber, is used in a rather boring way this time around; Salmon is merely leaned on for exposition and fed nothing exciting to deliver within that. Lucius Hoyos, who played Max Martin, is a pretty stereotypical teenage bully character; he's in this film a surprising amount, but doesn't really lend anything to it.

A family vacation film done for the novelty, and lacking a decent plot. I would give Nobody 2 a 6/10.