Bob Odenkirk playing a nobody with a hidden, action-packed past in Nobody was enough to please any crowd in 2021. The reveal of his full action chops in the bus sequence of that film is such fun. So what angle is needed when approaching a sequel that initially relied on the surprise factor of a character? That answer takes shape in the form of Nobody 2, a welcome pivot from the original secret sauce while also remaining true to the backbone of its predecessor. Most exciting is the addition of a new director: legendary Indonesian action filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto. Coming off of last year’s The Shadow Strays, Tjahjanto has been given studio money to bring his distinctly harsh brand of violence into theaters nationwide. Despite this feeling a bit watered down compared to his other full-blown action films, it’s always exciting to see a filmmaker being given a massive platform. And make no mistake, the action in this sequel is still exciting, quite brutal, and importantly, a ton of fun.
The first Nobody required some table setting in terms of achieving maximum impact. The bus scene in that film isn’t momentous solely because it’s an excellent action sequence. It’s a shock to the senses. In this sequel, both Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) as a character and Odenkirk as a performer have the awareness that they don’t resemble the typical action star. So there’s inherently a tongue-in-cheek playfulness present. And this sequel very much plays into the comedic nature of it all. At times, it could even be said that the film operates in full-blown cartoon mode. Odenkirk made reference to his adoration of Jackie Chan films at a recent MoMI Q&A, and that love is clear as day in several sequences of Nobody 2. The understanding that anything seen on screen could be used as a weapon is an exciting prospect. Chan is arguably the master of it, and Tjahjanto has taken up the mantle in absolutely devious ways as of late. For him and Odenkirk to bring that creativity to a small amusement park-centered setting is a delight. Arcade machines, carnival rides and attractions, and tourism activity mascots become these overtly silly beacons for viewers to look out for before any action really kicks off. Tjahjanto can use the inherent flashiness of such items as a signal for his audience to prepare for sheer madness.
And it’s not just the action-packed moments of Nobody 2 that are fun. The silliness in its core can be felt throughout, but it’s displayed immediately from the opening montage. Suburban mundanity has clearly taken a toll on the Mansell family. Dinner tables remain half-set. Plates of food are left in the microwave while dry, one-note check-in texts are sent. Hutch wakes up daily with a jolt, sneaking away so as to not wake Becca (Connie Nielsen), while avoiding any potential conflict. Tjahjanto sets the stage for his film with this clever sequence which quickly pinpoints the most interesting idea present in the film.
It’s no secret that countless individuals in the workforce feel a sense of complete burnout. Any sort of work-life balance has been stripped away from us as individuals. Is it possible to fully turn off one half of ourselves while the other half is trying to relax? These two halves of Hutch bleed into one another in Nobody 2. And in the case of his career, the bleeding is quite literal. How do we process the inability to separate? And just as important, how does the rest of a family take that? It’s in this examination of a family unit in distress that Nobody 2 makes use of the Mansell family dynamic. Although it’s understandable that Hutch is once again the primary focus of this film it acts as a bit of a detriment to the exploration of the rest of the cast. Still, there are a handful of moments where others are allowed to shine. Nielsen in particular is given more than one great action stinger to deliver as bold-faced as possible. There’s also Lendina (an all-in Sharon Stone), who is just having an absolute riot of a time as a full-blown lunatic villain. It’s honestly a shame that she isn’t in the film more, as her presence lends an air of unhinged villain charisma that elevates the entire film beyond the weaker elements of its script.
This is all to say that, despite emotional beats falling flat due to underwritten characters, Nobody 2 succeeds in what it’s most interested in: having fun in the most creative ways possible. The climax of this film is akin to an R-rated Home Alone which also happened to take place at an abandoned carnival/water park. It’s Tjahjanto feeling a bit stripped-down, but any output from him is as exciting as one would imagine it to be. There’s still a copious amount of faceless lackeys getting bodied through the most over-the-top methods imaginable. Odenkirk is once again an on-screen delight. He brings a balanced charm and intensity to the screen that’s more than enough to sustain a brisk 89-minute runtime. Importantly, he is able to perfectly capture that innate desire we all have to find a work-life balance that benefits not just us, but our loved ones as well. And at the very least, Nobody 2 has Odenkirk delivering some wonderful dad jokes. That alone proves itself to be a primetime dad movie, which also happens to be about a dad dealing with his place in the family.