By: Quinn Que
Nobody 2 represents a decent but predictable return to the suburban assassin formula that worked well enough the first time around. New director Timo Tjahjanto steps in to deliver more of the same tongue-in-cheek action from a screenplay series mainstay from Derek Kolstad and newcomer Aaron Rabin. It’s similar in basic format to the one that made its predecessor a surprise hit, but this sequel struggles to feel as fun or necessary, beyond the obvious commercial appeal of Bob Odenkirk more improvised weapons against international criminals.
The story follows Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), a former government assassin who tries to balance his violent past with his present as a loving family man. His wife Becca Mansell (Connie Nielsen) wants to enjoy a pleasant family vacation, like the one Hutch took with his father David Mansell (Christopher Lloyd) and his adopted brother Harry Mansell (RZA) as kids. However, there’s trouble in paradise and not just in Hutch’s marriage. New threats in the form of mob boss Lendina (Sharon Stone) and crooked cop Abel (Colin Hanks) run the town Hutch is on holiday in and a misunderstanding leads to all out chaos between them. Hutch must try to balance his violent obligations with family outing that quickly transforms into another bloody confrontation with criminal organizations.
The film’s action sequences maintain the kinetic energy that defined the original, with Odenkirk’s fictively “mild-mannered’ everyman-turned-killing-machine dynamic still providing some genuine punch. The vacation setting offers opportunities for creative set pieces, including a prolonged fight on a duck boat ride. However, the supporting cast feels somewhat underutilized given their collective talent, with several new additions like Stone, Hanks and John Ortiz cheesy villain roles that fail to fully capitalize on their abilities. The returning ensemble of Lloyd, Nielsen, et al. slip comfortably back into their established dynamics without much growth.
Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto makes his English-language directorial debut here, taking over from Ilya Naishuller who helmed the original. While Tjahjanto demonstrates competent action choreography, his direction lacks the distinctive flair that might have elevated this sequel beyond competent franchise filmmaking. The screenplay credited to Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin feels more concerned with hitting expected story beats than exploring new territory or deepening the characters we’ve already met. Though Kolstad, who’s also written many of the John Wick films, is an established master of the action genre, one wonders from this if he might be growing bored with it.
Nobody 2 is serviceable enough as summer fun that delivers what action fans will expect but falls into the trap of many action sequels of this sort – good enough to kill an hour or two, yet failing to justify the return to the well or the undermining of what felt like a great one-off first film. The Nobody film series is a quintessential epitome of dad movie and unassuming guy wish fulfillment, but has already begun to show its age. Whilst Odenkirk’s committed performance keeps things watchable, the sequel Nobody 2 feels like a missed opportunity to explore what made the first film genuinely surprising. It’s perfectly adequate for those seeking familiar thrills, but don’t expect it to recapture the novelty that made the first Nobody feel fresh.