Nobody needed a vacation more than Hutch Mansell.
The unlikely hero of 2021’s “Nobody” is back, and this time he’s taking his family to an old-school water park.
Except he can’t help doing a little “work” on the side.
“Nobody 2” understands why the first film defied expectations, even if it lacks that movie’s element of surprise. What’s left? More bone-crunching action, a ripe sense of humor and the feeling that this franchise could overlap the “John Wick” saga without anyone batting an eye.
Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch, the assassin next door whose double life is an open secret on the home front. That means his frustrated wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) puts up with him being late for dinner – a lot – and his kids know that Daddy has a temper.
Hutch’s work-life balance is more brutal than most parents, so he shleps the family to the water park where he once spent some glorious days as a lad.
Let’s make memories, gang!
Too bad the town in question is under the thumb of a corrupt lawman (Colin Hanks, cast effectively against type) and a shadowy figure known as Lendina (Sharon Stone, gobbling scenery with elan). It doesn’t take long for Hutch to fall back on his pugilistic ways.
There will be blood, and much of it will be Hutch’s.
Can he save the town from Lendina’s clutches while making sure his family gets the vacation memories they deserve? Who knew Hutch had an inner Clark Griswold?
“Nobody 2” brings back Grandpa (the great Christopher Lloyd), though you’ll wish he appeared in more scenes than he does. We also reunite with Hutch’s adopted brother Harry (RZA), adding some context to the main character’s background.
Never mind the plot puzzle pieces. We’re here for tooth-loosening punches, delivered by an Everyman who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit,” let alone “stay down.” Odenkirk remains one of Hollywood’s most unlikely action heroes, but he once again pulls off those dual duties with aplomb.
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The story packs plenty of plot holes, but it retains a cartoon-like quality that makes them mostly forgivable. Mostly.
We’re meant to look past the fact that our lovable hero is a paid killer who can’t stop putting his family in harm’s way. And when Becca warns he’s setting a bad example for his teen son Brady (Gage Monroe), Grandpa lets Hutch off the hook far too easily.
Director Timo Tjahjanto takes over for Ilya Naishuller, capturing the latter’s organized sense of mayhem. The visuals pop, and Hutch’s knack for making a weapon out of anything within reach remains a treat.
Tjahjanto can’t match the giddy nihilism of the first film’s bus brawl, but he makes Hutch battle a group of hoodlums in an elevator for good measure.
Take a step back from the carnage.
This is formula storytelling at its most professional. The action sequences pop. The wink-wink lines land. Odenkirk delivers the kind of performance that unites the two films, suggesting more stories are in play, depending on box office receipts.
And audiences get a 90-minute romp devoid of pretension and gravitas. That’s a vacation many moviegoers can’t resist. Nor should they.
HiT or Miss: “Nobody 2” is a perfectly good sequel. It can’t measure up to the original, but it knows exactly why we rallied behind the first film.