There’s something inherently fun about watching Bob Odenkirk beat people with whatever blunt object is closest, but Nobody 2 proves that charm alone can’t carry an entire sequel. This follow-up tries to bottle the same “everyman gone lethal” lightning that made the first film such a surprise hit, but this time the formula feels stretched, safe, and a little too pleased with itself.

Hutch Mansell is back, still killing people off the books to pay off his mysterious debt to The Barber, and still trying to convince his wife and kids that late nights and suspicious bruises are normal for a suburban dad. When he finally caves and drags the whole family including his trigger-happy father, played by Christopher Lloyd to Plummerville for a nostalgic vacation, the movie sets itself up for something clever. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes obvious that this trip is just a new backdrop for the same old chaos.

Plummerville is a rundown tourist trap with a decaying theme park, a smarmy resort owner, and a sheriff who apparently graduated from the “local tyrant” school of law enforcement. It’s the kind of place where you expect an animatronic bear to pull out a revolver. Instead, Hutch gets into a fistfight at the arcade after someone smacks his kid, and the town’s corrupt ecosystem suddenly decides this quiet dad is the biggest problem they’ve ever seen. And honestly? That part is fun. Hutch is at his best when forced into a corner and bored with pretending to be normal.
Tonally, the movie ping-pongs between gritty brutality and quirky slapstick. And surprisingly, the comedy often lands especially during the fights. Director Timo Tjahjanto injects energy into the action, leaning into absurdity while still letting the hits feel painful in the best way. There’s a warehouse brawl we barely see only hear from outside the building and it’s one of the cleverest set pieces in the film. If more of the movie had that spark, we’d be having a different conversation.

But the cracks start showing fast. The script feels like it was assembled from leftover parts: cranky wife waiting with dinner, grumpy kids, looming crime boss, and a town full of idiots just begging to be body-slammed. The villains are a mixed bag John Ortiz and Colin Hanks do what they can as the local sleaze brigade, but Sharon Stone is the only one who genuinely lights up the screen. She strolls in like she’s auditioning to be the rockstar aunt of a Bond villain and then vanishes for most of the runtime. By the time she comes back for the finale, I was already annoyed we didn’t get more of her unhinged glam energy.

Odenkirk still sells the “tired man who could kill you with a keychain” thing better than anyone, but the movie gives him almost nothing new to explore. He’s either annoyed, apologizing to his wife, or rearranging someone’s bones. Connie Nielsen deserves better than being relegated to Concerned Spouse duties again especially since the first movie already tore the Band-Aid off the big secret about Hutch’s past. Let her shoot someone or swear at least once.

The biggest problem? The movie plays everything too safe. It never fully leans into satire, nor does it commit to being raw and serious. The emotional stakes are low, the plot unfolds exactly how you expect, and the action scenes while entertaining feel like bonus clips rather than the spine of the story. It’s enjoyable in bursts, but not memorable. You don’t walk away buzzing; you walk away thinking, “That was fine.”

And maybe that’s the issue. Nobody earned its cult following by feeling like a curveball. Nobody 2 feels assembled by committee, like someone pitched “National Lampoon’s Family Vacation but he kills everybody” and nobody bothered to ask for a rewrite.

Is it boring? Not entirely. Is it necessary? Maybe not. If there’s going to be a third film and the door is clearly left open they’ll need to shake up the sandbox. Give Hutch a real obstacle. Use Sharon Stone properly. Let the weird side characters cut loose earlier. Stop pretending this is a franchise that needs restraint.

Nobody 2 isn’t a disaster, it’s just frustratingly average, dressed in potential it refuses to use.

Rating: 2.5/5