With an extensive career in comedy, it may have been a surprise at the time to see Bob Odenkirk turn his hand to drama. His standout performance as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad (2008) put quiet to any naysayers, with the character proving so popular he was given his own spin off. However, whilst he certainly proved his dramatic chops, I very much doubt anyone was expecting him to become an action star, but that is exactly what he did with Nobody (2021).
Like Liam Neeson, Odenkirk has come to the action genre late in the day, but like Neeson, the lived experience he brings to his role just adds to the action. Unlike Neeson, Odenkirk seems to take as much punishment as he dishes out, which helps ground his character and make him more relatable than the unstoppable Neeson.
After the events of the first film which resulted in ex assassin come family man Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) burning the Russian mob’s stockpile of money, Nobody 2 finds Hutch forced to carry out contracts on behalf of the “The Banker” (Colin Salmon) to pay off his debts. Although these contracts are helping keep his family safe, as a result of his “work”, Hutch’s family have begun to grow distant. In order to rectify this, he organizes a holiday, where he decides to take his family to amusement park Plummerville which has fond memories for him as he visited there as a child along with his father David (Christopher Lloyd) and brother Harry (RZA).
Plummerville isn’t exactly as Hutch remembered it, with it and the surrounding town being a hot bed of crime and corruption, headed by crime boss Lendina (Sharon Stone). It isn’t long before Hutch finds himself in Lendina’s cross hairs, and although he promised his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) that he would leave the violent side of his life at home, Hutch has no option but to face off against Lendina if he is to keep his family safe.
The surprise success of Nobody probably made a sequel a foregone conclusion, however after Odenkirk’s well publicized heart attack, it wasn’t so certain. It’s to Odenkirk’s credit that even with such a health scare that he’s forged on with this sequel. What’s more admirable is he takes part in an even higher level of action this time round, with violent fight scenes from the get go.
Director Ilya Naishuller doesn’t return to the director’s chair this time round, instead opting out for the hugely enjoyable Heads of State (2025). Luckily Naishuller left things in fine hands, with action extraordinaire Timo Tjahjanto taking over the reins, with Nobody 2 marking Tjahjanto’s western debut. Anyone who has watched The Night Comes for Us (2018) or the more recent The Shadow Strays (2024) will know Tjahjanto’s skill with bloody action, something Nobody 2 gives him ample opportunity to show off.
Of course, it would be silly to expect Tjahjanto’s English speaking debut to live up to the work he was making in his native country. Like John Woo, Tsui Hark or Kim Jee-Woon, Tjahjanto has had to somewhat dilute his style in his transition to the west. However, as those other directors did, he still manages to give the audience an extremely well made actioner with several violent set pieces.
Unlike Woo, Lam and Kim’s debuts, Nobody 2 also manages to tickle the funny bone, with the film being infused with laughs. If I had to sum it up quickly, I would say that it’s technically an action take on National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), with both focusing on a family man attempting to relive past memories as everything goes to shit.
Odenkirk is very much like Vacation’s leading man Chevy Chase, with his comedic timing being second to none. In fact, with Chase in mind it made me wonder how good Odenkirk would have been if he took over as another of Chase’s population characters, Fletch. Sure, Jon Hamm made for a charismatic Fletch recently in Confess, Fletch (2022), but it would be interesting to see what Odenkirk could bring to the character.
Still, I digress. What Odenkirk brings to his role that Chase didn’t in Vacation is a talent and dedication to action. As mentioned, Odenkirk takes part in numerous violent set pieces that all put his character through the ringer. My favorite of these was a river boat set fight that has Odenkirk having to defend himself by using whatever comes to hand. How very Jackie Chan of him.
As great as Odenkirk’s action scenes are, I was surprised that the standout fight in the film didn’t feature him at all, instead focusing on the RZA and action legend Daniel Bernhardt. The two of them face off in a well done sword duel, with Bernhardt putting RZA through his paces. If I were to nitpick, I would have liked the scene to be longer but it’s still another fun action scene in a film with multiple well choreographed set pieces.
Some may question the return of Bernhardt in an entirely different role from what he portrayed in the first film, but being such a fan of his I was just glad to see him appear. At least Nobody 2 gives him an opportunity to have a fight scene, unlike last year’s The Killer’s Game (2024). My only grievance with that film was how everyone got an opportunity to face off against Dave Bautista but him. It left me feeling short changed.
As great as it is to see Bernhardt in these supporting roles, it is about time he was made the lead. Thankfully the upcoming Deathstalker (2025) looks to rectify this, with the reboot of the cult classic casting him as the titular character.
Of the remaining cast members, Connie Nielsen is given a fair bit more to play with here than she did in the first film, even getting involved in the action in the last 3rd of the film. There are some allusions to her own character’s background, but the film doesn’t go too deeply into them.
Christopher Lloyd is a hoot as Hutch’s father, with his screen time being upped from the first film. I dare anyone not to cheer at the sight of Lloyd mowing down bad guys with an old gatling gun.
John Ortiz is a welcome addition to the franchise, initially appearing to be the film’s villain until more information is revealed. I was somewhat disappointed with the film’s real big bad, Sharon Stone. I have seen other critics praising her performance, but parts of her role had me cringing. I would put her performance on the same level of what she gave in the god awful Catwoman (2004).
Colin Hanks fares better as the Town Sherriff, who is clearly out of his depth. He tries to act the hard case, but doesn’t really have the stature for it, even though he physically towers above a lot of the main cast. Hanks has shown he can go to dark places before, with his part in Dexter (2013) being a standout. His character here doesn’t reach the same level of depravity but you can tell Hanks enjoys playing the bad guy.
Speaking of actors towering over people, Colin Salmon makes an appearance as Hutch’s handler. He doesn’t get to do much other than be his suave self, but it’s always fun to see him show up. It is certainly more worthy of his talents than British soap opera Eastenders.
Nobody 2 is the kind of film best enjoyed with a large audience. Sadly that doesn’t seem possible in this day and age. I saw this opening night and the theater wasn’t even half full, which makes me sad. Because of this I won’t be surprised to see Nobody 2 rushed to streaming, which would probably jeopardize the potential for further sequels.
Hopefully I’m wrong as Nobody 2 is that rarest of sequels, one that can proudly stand next to the original. It may lose out the initial surprise of seeing Odenkirk in action for the first time but it makes up for it in sheer fun.
Odenkirk still has more action movies to come, with the upcoming Normal (2025) reteaming him with Nobody & Nobody 2 screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Helmed by Ben Wheatley, this looks to be a more serious action thriller for Odenkirk, one he will no doubt excel in.
For Timo Tjahjanto, he is already at work on his next Hollywood feature, which is another sequel, with him replacing original director David Ayer for the sequel to The Beekeeper (2024). Somewhere in his future he has also promised a sequel to The Shadow Strays, so it looks like he will be staying with the action genre for the time being. I can’t say I’m disappointed.
Plot: 3.5/5
Acting: 4/5
Action: 4/5
Overall: 3.8/5
