In 2021, Nobody was one of the first in the action movie landscape to land like a punch you really didn’t see coming — and that was definitely the vibe it was going for. Emmy Award-winning actor and writer Bob Odenkirk, best known from Better Call Saul, suddenly turned into a credible, scrappy action hero with bruises that were far too relatable and somewhat endearing. The film’s incredible bus fight alone earned it a place in the modern action movie conversation with John Wick and The Bourne Identity. But it was Odenkirk’s blend of deadpan humor, irritation, and surprising physicality that was the film’s secret sauce. Immediately after the pandemic, with a need for something refreshing, Nobody worked because it was lean, mean, and knew exactly what it was.
Fast forward nearly four years, and the surprise factor for Nobody 2 might be gone, but the thrill is certainly still intact. You know Odenkirk’s character, Hutch Mansell, can still fight, but you also know things are about to go south for him and his family. Instead of trying to out-crazy the first film, the sequel takes a smarter approach. It picks up where things would naturally land: the family knows who the patriarch is now, and there’s no going back to the suburban façade.
It might seem like a simple shift, but it’s also a strategic one that opens the universe to more, as it lets Connie Nielsen’s Becca step closer to the action for a naturally evolved spark needed for the relationship drama and, of course, the fights. The premise stays tight, the action is bigger and better, and though it’s not aiming to rewrite the rules of the genre, Nobody 2’s got enough craft and personality to make the ride so damn worth it.
What Is ‘Nobody 2’ About
Four years have passed since Hutch (Odenkirk) tangled with the Russian mob, but he’s still chipping away at that $30 million debt to another criminal outfit. The work is steady with international hits, one after another, but it’s pulling him further from his wife and two children, Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath). Becca (Nielsen) is buried in her real-estate grind, the kids are busy with their own lives, and when they do talk, it’s usually just to swap calendar updates. Exhausted and weary by the grind (and still chasing after the garbage truck), Hutch plans what should be a fun family trip (including dad, David — played by Christopher Lloyd) to Plummerville, a cheesy old tourist town he remembers fondly from his childhood with brother, Harry (RZA).
Of course, it doesn’t take long for trouble to find him. A minor run-in at an arcade spirals into a clash with John Ortiz’s territorial theme park owner, Henry, and Colin Hanks’ sketchy sheriff Abel. Though Hutch tries his hardest to have a good time and leave behind his brutal, action hero ways for at least a week, he soon finds out that his beloved summer vacation spot is now a bootlegging route run by Sharon Stone’s crime boss, Lendina, who is eccentric and wild in every way a villain is.
Stone is clearly having a blast chewing the scenery with the flashes of menace a part like this needs. But she’s not as memorable as the first film’s villain, Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksei Serebryakov). Instead, there’s a gap where a sharper backstory or a truly ruthless moment should be, which leaves some of it feeling campy. You never quite understand what’s driving her as her brand of “crazy” feels more surface-level than bone-deep, but we expected to see it and feel it.
Odenkirk, on the other hand, slots back into Hutch like he never left — equal parts tired dad, reluctant husband, and blunt-force problem solver. He is sharp and clever, and manages to still be so endearing even when he is kicking ass and taking names. Nielsen plays Becca with a mix of affection and readiness, fully leaning into the idea that she loves her husband for who he is, warts and all. It’s her performance that really puts the film in a new light, giving the film a heartbeat in between all the blood and bruises.
‘Nobody 2’s Stunts and Action Sequences Are Outstanding
With the performances and story being at a decent spot, here’s where the sequel really earns its keep. Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto (best known for action masterpieces like Headshot and The Big 4) knows a thing or two about crafting brutal, kinetic action that doesn’t try to make Hutch look untouchable. Instead, he keeps the fights scrappy and fun, which makes it relatable but also a breeding ground for comedy. While the film falls victim to a few familiar beats from the previous film, Hutch stumbles, improvises, and takes hits just as often as he dishes them out — and that’s exactly what makes it satisfying to watch.
One of the best, most exciting moments in the film comes from the duck boat sequence, which is a clear showstopper. As a clever bit of sequel one-upmanship, the sequence puts Hutch and the bad guys in a tight position that also creates a sense of obliviousness around them, as no one else is paying attention and instead, taking in the sights. Think the bus fight from the first movie, but now on a cramped, floating tourist trap with slippery decks and questionable safety equipment. You know it’s about to turn into a MacGyver-level of fun when life preservers turn into weapons and railings become choke points. It’s chaotic, funny, and somehow still believable because Odenkirk cranks that energy to an 11, keeping us on our toes every second.
Across the dozen or so fight scenes, there’s a variety and personality that really give the audience exactly what they expect with a movie like this. Blending the best of National Lampoon’s Vacation with Home Alone, the film gives us the best, most eye-catching, ultra-violent, and brutal sequences to really end off the summer. Between a claustrophobic elevator tussle with dizzying camera spins, a sword fight at the theme park that nods to Indonesian action cinema, and smaller dust-ups that keep Hutch’s underdog charm intact, Nobody 2 is some of the most fun you’ll have this the movies before summer ends. Stunt designer Greg Rementer and fight choreographer Kirk Jenkins have managed to make each sequence have its own rhythm, which keeps the film exciting and afloat across its 90 minutes. And because Odenkirk still does most of his own work, you feel the strain and weight of every hit. It’s not graceful, but that’s the point.
‘Nobody 2’ Proves You Don’t Need a Complicated Plot to Land an Epic Sequel
While its performances and action sequences are tight, Nobody 2 keeps things refreshingly straightforward and clean in terms of story. Bad guys show up, Hutch deals with them — alongside the help of his brother, Harry, and a few allies. It’s this lack of overcomplicating things that gives the movie a focus and space to build the family dynamic, especially in the growing sense of Becca and Hutch’s relationship and where it stands by the end of the movie. The tag-team fights with Harry also bring a different flavor to the film, with sibling banter and teamwork that play well on screen and parallel the dynamic we begin to see in the layers between Brady and Sammy.
The villains do their job without stealing the show, which leaves the emotional weight on the Mansell family, mostly of course, Hutch. But what makes the film so charming is how some of the best scenes aren’t even action — they’re the quiet beats in a tiki-themed honeymoon suite, or the glances between Hutch and Becca when they realize they’re both wired for chaos. Those moments keep the movie grounded, so it doesn’t just feel like fight scene after fight scene. Moreover, the film finds a sharp way to build on Nobody’s dark humor by punching it up with a few smart one-liners and physical gags that align with dad humor, but might not easily impress others.
By the end, it’s clear the door is wide open for more, and frankly, after this, we want to see at least one more chapter. Without spoiling too much, there is definitely a universe where Nobody 3 could thrive with new alliances, untold stories, and bigger stakes without dangling an obvious cliffhanger. Of course, it’s not flawless — there’s a bit of midsection lull with a couple of gags that miss, but it also kind of mirrors Hutch’s own exhaustion on this vacation with family, so it works in metaform as an overall, well-assembled, enjoyable follow-up that knows its strengths.
Nobody 2 isn’t out to reinvent the genre, nor does it need to. It’s a well-made, confident sequel that keeps the rough-edged charm of the first film while finding a few new ways to have fun with its characters. Odenkirk remains the franchise’s secret weapon and the type of action hero that is very welcome in the 2020s. If you liked Nobody, this is absolutely worth your time — you’ll get your money’s worth in bruises, banter, and a duck boat fight you won’t forget anytime soon.
Rating: 3.5/5
TL;DR
- Bob Odenkirk is better, bloodier, and funnier than ever, cementing Hutch Mansell as one of the most relatable action heroes of the 2020s.
- Director Timo Tjahjanto stages some of the year’s most insane, unforgettable action sequences — from a dizzying elevator brawl to what will be an iconic duck boat fight that belongs in the action movie hall of fame.
- A lean, bruising, start-to-finish thrill ride, Nobody 2 proves itself a must-watch sequel that blends heart, humor, and pure chaos, and all but demands a third, even bigger installment.
Nobody 2 is in theatres on Friday.
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