"Nobody 2": brief review

L to R: Gage Munroe as Brady/Blake, Paisley Cadorath as Sam, Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell; Christoper Lloyd as Dave; Connie Nielsen as Becca

What worked for "Nobody" feels stale and repetitive for "Nobody 2." I guess the filmmakers thought they had found a formula: protagonist Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) is still stuck in the rut of routines, still skipping out on his family, and still subject to fits of rage during which he shows his true nature as a veteran contract killer who has long enjoyed his work. Hutch has a bright, happy daughter named Sam (Paisley Cadorath), a sullen and cynical son named Brady "Blake" (Gage Munroe), a world-weary wife named Becca (Connie Nielsen), and a wacky, ex-policeman dad named Dave (Christopher Lloyd). New villains this time include Colin Hanks as Abel, the corrupt sheriff of Plummerville, a town with a long history as a major node in a pipeline of booze and drugs extending to Canada. Abel watches over Wyatt (John Ortiz), a dirty businessman in debt who currently runs the amusement park that Hutch fondly remembers from his childhood. Wyatt has an asshole son named Max (Lucius Hoyos), who mixes it up with Hutch's son Brady. Hutch knew none of the town's history when he suggested Plummerville to his family as the site for a much-needed vacation. His adoptive brother Harry (RZA), though, fills Hutch in on the details once Hutch has a run-in or two with Abel and his goons. Hutch's current boss "The Barber" (Colin Salmon), who is helping Hutch to pay off his debt for having burned all of that Obshak money in the first film, further tells Hutch that the top of the local totem pole is a crazy and cruel woman named Lendina (Sharon Stone), who becomes furious when Hutch, in one of his rages, burns all of her money.

Formulaic, predictable, and over-the-top, "Nobody 2" has some funny moments, but as with a lot of scripts these days, it over-relies on the word "fuck" as a source of both humor and emotional intensity. The effect fades fast. Sharon Stone seems to be having fun with her part; she's aged into near-unrecognizability, but she owns the look. Unfortunately, her character Lendina isn't given many witty things to say or do, and with all of the plot armor surrounding Hutch's dad and Hutch's kids, there's very little real suspense. It doesn't help that the fights have the exact same feel as those of the last movie; the new fight choreography brings almost nothing new to the table. On the bright side, Connie Nielsen, RZA, and the kids are given a lot more to do this time, and John Ortiz's Wyatt has a change of heart, as does his son Max, so at least two characters in the movie get to have something of an arc. The return of Daniel Bernhardt (the distinctive, handsome stunt guy who's long work with Keanu Reeves) as a totally different character was also welcome—not to mention a nod to this franchise's John Wick DNA. Alas, I would have liked to know more about Lendina's history—what was it that made her so crazy and mean. The movie does a decent job of establishing her current personality but gives us nothing about her backstory.

All in all, "Nobody 2" felt very by-the-numbers—not a worthy sequel at all. I could have done without, and it ended up feeling like time wasted. Sure, it's entertaining enough if you're bored, but despite one or two scattered laugh-out-loud moments, I found myself feeling a bit like Hutch's son Brady—just kind of sullen and sulky as I sat through this story for nearly 90 minutes.

Oh: Colin Hanks sounds almost exactly like his dad. Uncanny.