TSJ Reviews NOBODY Starring Bob Odenkirk

TSJ Reviews Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk

Studio: Perfect World, 87North Productions
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Writer: Derek Kolstad
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielson, Christopher Lloyd, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA, Michael Ironside
Platform: Any Video on Demand service
Similar: John Wick, Kickass


First, the trailer (BEWARE OF LANGUAGE / VIOLENCE):

Story

Bob Odenkirk plays former government agent Hutch Mansell. He’s married to Becca (Connie Nielson) and has a son and daughter. They live a normal, sedate life in a suburb, and Hutch is an accountant for a manufacturing firm owned by Eddie (Michael Ironside). Hutch misses the action and excitement of his former career, and his life is now downright boring. His marriage is suffering, his son doesn’t respect him, and each day drones on and on, blurring into the next.

Until the burglary.

During a home invasion, Hutch decides not to resist. He lets the burglars escape, which incurs the wrath of his son and derision from his neighbors. Hutch has his reasons, but at the time he felt it wasn’t necessary to make use of his hidden skills. The internal friction begins at this point, however, and eventually Hutch finds himself on a city bus with a crew of thugs whom he quickly dispatches. They do hurt him — Hutch is rusty at this — but it’s clear that he’s having fun again. One of them is the brother of a Russian mobster, and this is where the story really begins.

The Bus Fight.  Brutal Action.

Yulian is the mobster, and he has one of the greatest movie entrances in action film villain history. It involves a nightclub, drinking, singing, dancing, and then murder. It’s a highly creative scene; kudos to the filmmakers and Aleksei Serebryakov for pulling it off.

Yulian, the mobster.

There’s not much else to tell about the story. It involves simple revenge and the rediscovery of a life once loved and now lost. Hutch rekindles his love for his past while destroying gangsters, and we learn more about his family and his government work.

Review

This movie made me giddy from start to finish (including the stinger during the end credits). Right from the introductory scenes of Hutch’s daily routine, which director Ilya Naishuller filmed in an incredibly creative and humorous montage, we quickly get the point. There’s no extra fat in this film. It’s tight. I had a goofy grin on my face during the action sequences, and seeing Christopher Lloyd in his supporting role was joy-inducing. The action is stylish, the music a wonderful addition to each scene, and it’s just plain entertaining. Some of the camera angles made me sit up and take notice, most notably during the car-chase sequence. There is a HOME ALONE-style climax to this film which had me simultaneously laughing and groaning in empathetic pain for the suffering criminals. It’s hard to do action films without being derivative (and the Home Alone montage is obvious!), but this one nailed it. The hand-to-hand combat, the gunfights, the knife fights, and the larger weaponry and car chases … it all seemed fresh and new. This is hard to do today, but the filmmakers not only did it, they did it very, very well. Don’t believe me? Just wait for the Claymore mine.

The Home Alone Sequence.

There’s something else I want to point out. An element often missing from today’s action films: humor. If you remember the 80s or 90s, you’ll know what I mean. The best action always involved humor. From Die Hard to Predator. Almost every Arnold film used loads of humor. The purpose is to take the audience on a roller coaster of emotion. Nobody succeeds at this where so many other movies don’t … or, they don’t even try. They’re way too serious. It’s why I compare Nobody to Kickass … tons of action, and at the same time, funny situations and lots of laughs. This is a roller coaster for sure.

Pros:

– It is a tightly-paced film! It’s fast-moving and action packed.
– It’s full of humor. You’ll be laughing from start to finish.
– Christopher Lloyd and Bob Odenkirk.
– It’s stylish and gory.
– The soundtrack really complements the action.

Christopher Lloyd!

Cons:

– The initial burglary doesn’t involve the Russians or Hutch’s escalating issues with the city’s underworld. It has little to do with the story, and I felt that it would have better served the narrative had it been involved in some way. I understand why it happened: to introduce Hutch and the disappointment his son feels regarding Hutch’s inaction in a stressful, violent situation. However, it felt a tad disjointed and disconnected.
– There seemed to be an unlimited supply of bad guys. They just keep coming, and it’s comical, but not in a funny way.

Overall, Nobody is stylish, funny, and action packed. I paid $24.99 for the rental and I loved it. It’s a great Friday or Saturday-night film, but it’s not for the whole family. If you liked Kickass and John Wick, you’ll enjoy this. I want more.

TSJ’s Review: 9/10

Follow TSJ on Facebook
Follow TSJ on Twitter
Follow TSJ on Instagram

Enter TSJ’s contests here
Enter your email into the widget at the right to follow TSJ’s blog Life After Gateway.

FATAL DEPTH IS COMING SOON

“Reading The Savage Deeps is like watching a movie … mesmerizing … Torpedoes, mines, imploded subs, and bodies litter the ocean floor … Johnston is an author skilled in bringing life to his characters through dialogue, engaging readers’ emotions by their behaviors and thinking, and creating brilliant settings, all of which play out like scenes in a movie.” — Five Stars from Readers’ Favorite

The Savage Deeps delivers on every level.” — SFcrowsnest

The Savage Deeps is like a futuristic Das Boot with a lot of intense action and some interesting technology … full of spine-tingling thrills … I give The Savage Deeps a five star rating.” — A Thrill A Week

Praise for THE WAR BENEATH

“If you’re looking for a techno-thriller combining Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy and John Le Carré, The War Beneath will satisfy … a ripping good yarn, a genuine page-turner.” — Amazing Stories
“One very riveting, intelligent read!” — Readers’ Favorite
“If you like novels like The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising,
you will certainly enjoy The War Beneath.” — A Thrill A Week
“If you’re here for thrills, the book will deliver.” — The Cambridge Geek
“… an engaging world that is highly believable …” — The Future Fire
“This is a tense, gripping science fiction/thriller of which Tom Clancy might well be proud . . . When I say it is gripping, that is the simple truth.” — Ardath Mayhar
“… a thrill ride from beginning to end …” — SFcrowsnest
“… if you like Clancy and le Carré with a hint of Forsyth thrown in,
you’ll love The War Beneath.” — Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee (RET),
2017 Nebula Award & 2018 Dragon Award Finalist
“Fast-paced, good old-fashioned Cold War espionage … a great escape!” — The Minerva Reader

Leave a Reply