‘Nobody’ Review: Plays to Bob Odekirk’s Strengths

Bob Odenkirk isn’t exactly on the same action hero level as Keanu Reeves, but that’s what John Wick writer Derek Kolstad is attempting to do with the actor in his latest film Nobody. And for the most part, the film succeeds as a John Wick in a different suit clone that’s heavy on the action and where the storyline doesn’t really matter all that much. More importantly, it’s different enough to play to Odenkirk’s strengths and lets him shine in the role and kick some major ass in the process. What more could you want from an action film?

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is your typical family man who has the same weekly routine of waking up, going to work, coming home to his wife and two kids, and missing trash day. To everyone who knows him, he’s nothing but average. But following a home invasion that leaves his son with a black eye and him doing nothing to stop the thieves, he’s decided that enough is enough and opens a previously closed door to his past, one where he worked as an “auditor” for the government aka the last person you ever want to see.

At first glance, Nobody looks almost exactly like a John Wick clone; guy lives seemingly normal and happy life, something tragic happens, guy gets his revenge and leaves a path of bodies behind him in the process. And it’s not surprising, given the fact that Nobody is from the same writer. But the one key difference here is that there is no puppy, and that changes the entire film.

John Wick was a story of revenge and vengeance where John Wick took down the entire criminal underworld because one of them killed his puppy. Nobody may have the same bones with Hutch Mansell taking down an entire criminal organization, but his motivations are completely different. It all starts with a home invasion, and that’s the trigger that brings Hutch back into his previous life. The difference here is that it’s not really a revenge story. Hutch is unhappy in his current life. He has a wife who ignores him, a son who thinks he’s weak, and a job that’s the same day in and day out. He’s tired of being just an invisible nobody to everyone and misses the thrill and the excitement of his old life, and when he gets a taste of it because of the robbery, he’s slowly drawn back into that world. It’s not so much revenge as it is straight up vengeance.

Regardless of the motivation, Nobody still delivers the same thrills and intense action audiences expect from the genre. Bob Odenkirk is no Keanu Reeves, but he is perfect in the role of Hutch. He can play the sad sap who has nothing really going for him and then transition into the ruthless ass kicker when needed. The film is far from groundbreaking but it works. The action is over-the-top and ridiculous most of the time. Don’t expect perfect precision here. Still, it’s entertaining at its finest. Odenkirk brings a levity to the film that is absent from the John Wick franchise.

Nobody proves that Bob Odenkirk has what it takes to be a bonafide action star. The film is simple, uncomplicated fun that delivers exactly what you want and expect from the genre. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you already have a formula that works, although there’s no question that John Wick would be able to effortlessly take out Hutch Mansell if the two ever crossed paths.