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R
for strong bloody violence, and language throughout.
Starring
Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Sharon Stone, Colin Hanks
Director
Timo Tjahjanto
Producer
Kelly McCormick, David Leitch,
Genres
Action/Adventure
Comedy
Released by
Universal Pictures on
8/15/2025
Nationwide
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Trailer
Review
Nobody 2 falls into the category of one of those sequels that not a lot of people really wanted but that nevertheless exists. The problem lies in the premise: it's the sort of concept that works only once (the original Nobody was a lot of fun) and can avoid being a retread only if significant changes are made. Instead, mindful of audience expectations, the filmmakers kept Nobody 2 closely aligned with the original's template, and the result is - predictably - underwhelming. It's an okay movie if all you want is an everyman dad doing superhero-ish things while getting beaten up along the way, but it's neither as wildly entertaining nor as exhilarating as its predecessor.
There's a moment early on when I thought Nobody 2 might be headed into fertile territory. After an amusingly kinetic opening, the film reaches a point where it seems to be begging for Lindsey Buckingham's "Hollywood Road" to blast from the soundtrack. Alas, the song never arrives, and the tease of Bob Odenkirk-as-action-Clark-Griswold evaporates. For a while, the idea of a Bourne Identity/Vacation mash-up seems possible, but it soon becomes clear that's not where things are going. There's some Jason Bourne in Odenkirk's sophomore outing as Hutch Mansell, but not nearly enough Clark.
Odenkirk's exasperated straight-man approach gives the movie a quasi-comedic edge - something that's necessary, since none of the action scenes are especially memorable. Director Timo Tjahjanto, whose bread and butter is in the horror/thriller genre, throws in a few curveballs (the partially off-screen warehouse confrontation among them) but delivers nothing truly special or spectacular. Writer Derek Kolstad (who not only created this series but also helped launch John Wick) has shown himself to be a bit of a one-trick pony. Granted, it's a great trick - but one that loses impact with repetition.
Nobody 2 has a disjointed structure, with the first half centered on Hutch's ill-fated attempt at a family vacation with wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), dad David (Christopher Lloyd), son Brady (Gage Munroe), and daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath) at Plummerville - an old-timey amusement park run by the founder's son, Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz), alongside a humorless sheriff (Colin Hanks). Things start our poorly when Hutch loses his cool and roughs up some locals, then does the same to the sheriff's hired thugs sent to "escort" him out of town. It's not until the midpoint that architect of all evil, Sharon Stone's Lendina, enters the picture, with her showdown against Hutch driving the third act.
A word about the film's villains seems in order. Colin Hanks is many things, but a stone-eyed, intimidating bad guy isn't one of them. It never works. Sharon Stone, on the other hand, can absolutely fill that role, but the film undercuts her with too little screen time and virtually no backstory, leaving her more incidental than fearsome. Aside from one graphic moment, we're told rather than shown why she's dangerous - and ultimately she's more bark than bite. Had she been developed into a fully realized, memorable figure instead of a thin caricature, Nobody 2 might have landed better. And as for the so-called "twist" during the climax - you'd have to be blind not to see it coming.
Nobody 2 is entertaining in the way many B-movies are: they find an itch and scratch it. Here, it's watching an unlikely hero dish out violence to bad guys who deserve the bloodbath they get. The film is repetitive, but it's paced well enough that I was never bored. That said, I think I've had my fill of Hutch - much as I enjoy Odenkirk. One movie was plenty; this sequel proves lightning doesn't strike twice.
© 2025 James Berardinelli
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