Review: ‘Nobody 2’ layers laughter between intense fight sequences

It’s impractical to try to hide who you really are forever. You may be able to suppress some part of yourself temporarily, but eventually it will be activated and you’ll lose the ability to conceal it. It’s at this point you perhaps realize it would be better to embrace this undesirable part of yourself if you truly want any chance of controlling it. It won’t always work out as you’d hoped, but at least it’s honest. In Nobody 2, Hutch’s mundane life as an office drone is long forgotten and now he’s back doing what he does best – for better or worse.

In the last film, Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) reunited with his killer instincts to protect his family. Now, he’s back on the payroll, carrying out lethal assignments daily. But it’s a demanding job with no set hours and he’s missing spending time with the family he fought so hard to save.

Recognizing he needs a break, Hutch plans a family vacation to the small town attraction that served as the setting for his own childhood memories. Unfortunately, trouble follows Hutch wherever he goes and the sleepy tourist trap is no exception. Suddenly, he finds himself on the wrong side of a sadistic crime lord named Lendina (Sharon Stone) and the local sheriff (Colin Hanks) firmly in her pocket.

The picture begins with a very familiar scene in an interrogation room before backtracking to show how Hutch got there this time. His best laid plans are driven by nostalgia, but as Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.”

This movie amplifies the best parts of the first picture: its dark sense of humour and improbable fight sequences. It’s an action comedy like its predecessor, layering lots of laughter between the many battles from which Hutch impossibly emerges the victor.

The action sequences are extremely physical and feature impressive choreography, frequently involving multiple assailants. The brawls make use of anything within arm’s reach, turning everything into a weapon, including metal bars broken from fixtures, arcade games, boat anchors, life preservers, carnival rides and slides.

Hutch is so likeable, it’s impossible not to root for him both in his clashes with the bad guys and with his family – especially when the guy that started it all deserved a smack-down. It’s almost unfortunate he’s so adept at such a violent job that, like John Wick, he can’t escape no matter how hard he tries.

Of course, the picture still ends up being a family affair as Hutch once again goes to war with his father (Christopher Lloyd) and brother (RZA) at his side, along with some new allies. Moreover, his wife (Connie Nielsen) and kids (Gage Munroe and Paisley Cadorath) are front and centre in this film, usually on the edges of a massacre. But they’re surprisingly stronger because of what Hutch is and not nearly as dysfunctional as one might expect.

All those returning to their roles appear to enjoy it even more than they did the first time around. They are more comfortable with the bizarre balance between familial love and violence that simultaneously fuels the narrative.  They’re also less hampered by the need to shield the children from the brutality that follows their family.

Stone brings an entirely different, more chaotic energy to the picture. She clearly enjoys playing the unhinged villain that relishes handling her own business. But she also surrounds herself with an elite team of women and a man who do anything she asks. Her bloodlust is insatiable and she uses the slightest infraction as an excuse to satisfy it. Like any good felon, she also has a sinister dance number that underlines her madness.

This film also adds a couple of adorable canines to the mix. The wolf is lovely, but the French bulldog regularly steals the spotlight from Stone, who seems resigned to let it happen.

Even though audiences know how the film will end, it is still an exciting conclusion filled with gunfire, explosions, maimings and impalings.

Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd