Mladen and Del review ‘Nobody 2’

Image courtesy of Universal.

“Nobody 2” Starring Bob Odenkirk as the dad, Connie Nielsen as the mom, Sharon Stone as More Evil than Her Character in “Basic Instinct,” John Ortiz as the bad guy turned good guy, Christopher Lloyd as the granddad, Gage Munroe as the son, Paisley Cadorath as the daughter, RZA as the brother, and others. Directed by Timo Jahjanto. 1 hour, 29 minutes. Rated R. Theatrical release.

Plot synopsis: A family whose patriarch is a spy/assassin/enforcer, or something like that, for a shady government agency, or something like that, takes a vacation only to bump head-, fist-, knife‑, gun-, and grenade‑long into a jacked up Mafia-like organization that runs a kitschy, throwback  resort as a front for no-goodness such as money laundering and weapon smuggling.

Spoilers: Probably

Mladen’s take

“Nobody 2” is a movie for everybody. Bring the whole family to see this light‑hearted romp through the trials and tribulations of husband and wife relationships, parenting, loyalty, and doing what’s right no matter the odds of surviving. Man, I love a flick where good violence prevails against evil violence. “Nobody 2” left me waiting expectantly for the next episode of the adventures of the Mansells.

What can I say? All the characters are likeable, even if a couple of them felt shoehorned in and one, Lendina (Stone) was over the top of over the top. Odenkirk is terrific as somewhat mopey, always conscientious, and unquestionably spry middle‑age father Hutch whose life as a secret agent is not entirely secret to his family. His voice is calm whether he’s talking about a family vacation or burning a stack of money. Nielsen as patient and persevering wife and mom Becca is at the top of her game. She has accepted her husband’s career choice but stands guard to make sure it doesn’t go off the rails. And, yeah, as it turns out, she is an intuitive gunslinger when Hutch’s exploits do finally afflict the family.

Other family-esque happenings in the film is the scene where brother Brady (Munroe) protects sister Sammy (Cadorath). And there’s a scene where Ortiz, as Wyatt Martin, and Hutch acknowledge the essentialness of fathers protecting their families. Very heartwarming. I was touched. But, most importantly, these incidents of watching out for each other pave the way for scenes of epic spillage of blood.

Can’t imagine that “Nobody 2” will avoid comparisons to the John Wick universe or the Mad Max universe or other action thrillers dipped in carnage. Pay no attention. “Nobody 2” has a playfulness that transcends its violence. The film is amusing from beginning to end unlike, for example, “Eenie Meenie,” which I saw recently on a streamer. “Eenie Meenie” is billed as a comedy thriller but, holy shit, the ending is bleak. The bleakness wiped out the funnier content that came before it. “Nobody 2” never dips into the tragic.

The movie follows the standard arc of action films. From bursts of violence in tight quarters such as an elevator against only several bad guys (for another example see “Captain America: Winter Soldier”) to a war-like battle at the end. I didn’t mind the formulaic trope. The studio, director, and actors knew the movie’s purpose and they executed it in a mere 90 minutes. The score and the soundtrack were spot-on, catchy even. I just sat in the theater chair, letting the film do its thing – entertain me with impossible feats of human reflex coupled to the good guys’ perfect foresight into how to defeat an overwhelming force. 

“Nobody 2” is no less than an A-.           

Del’s take

Mark your calendars, folks. For once, Mladen and I agree. And neither of us touched a drop beforehand – I promise.

If you took the premise of “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” added some “Home Alone” boobytrap action, threw in a generous helping of “John Wick”-ian style mayhem, you’d have “Nobody 2,” a frothy concoction with equal parts comedy and violence.

Man, I just loved this movie.

Somehow Mladen and I missed the first 5 minutes – I can’t figure that out. The listing said 2:50 p.m. We got there early. Usually there’s half an hour of ads and trailers. But when we walked in Bob Odenkirk was wheeling his garbage can out to the road as his family dispersed on their daily routines.

No matter. The parallels to “National Lampoon’s Vacation” are uncanny. Odenkirk, bowing to the demands of his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), vows to spend more time with his family and hatches a strange plan – why not gather the clan for a week at a corny water park in Plummerville, Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway, the same place Odenkirk’s dad (Christopher Lloyd as David Mansell) took him and his brother Harry (RZA) when they were kids.

Things move along pretty much like they did for Chevy Chase in “Vacation” until Hutch encounters the local sheriff (Colin Hanks as Sheriff Abel), who answers to Plummerville’s resident scion, Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz), who’s running a crime syndicate for the benefit of a very nasty bad girl, Lendina (Sharon Stone). Once Lendina becomes involved, the movie transitions from a domestic farce to a hilarious action-thriller peppered with over-the-top fight scenes.

That’s what makes the movie work. The violence is so extreme and unrealistic it becomes a parody of real violence, just as the characters become parodies of other movie characters. It’s impossible to take any of this very seriously and once you accept that fact you can enjoy the movie for what it is – a goofy romp that just happens to involve lots and lots of broken noses, concussions via plastic ducks and waterslide punji sticks. 

I have a hard time picturing Bob Odenkirk, known for his role as the lawyer in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” as an action hero, but despite his character’s Walter Mitty-adjacent personality Odenkirk somehow makes it work. More intriguing was the weary acceptance of his family members, who are not only aware of Dad’s excursions into the dark art of beating back crime while not exactly following the letter of the law himself, but sometimes pitch in when duty calls.

As the name implies there was a “Nobody 1” and I understand it’s available for streaming on Prime. I think I know what I’ll be watching once I finish the latest season of “Foundation” on Apple TV.

“Nobody 2” is an hour and a half of fun. It has many flaws, which I choose to ignore. It’s greatest virtue is it doesn’t ask a whole lot of you, so don’t ask a whole of it.

I give it an A.

Mladen Rudman is a former journalist and technical writer. Del Stone Jr. is a former journalist and writer.