Sometimes you just want a late-summer blast that doesn’t demand much of your brain beyond keeping up with the next punchline or the next punch. Nobody else delivers exactly that: a quick, 89-minute burst of bone-crunching, campy chaos that swaps the first film’s surprise for a looser, more playful good time. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, whose skill for fast-paced, well-choreographed fights is obvious, this sequel knows what it is and hits the mark with a smile.
The story: Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) tries to reconnect with his family on a nostalgic vacation to the small town of Plummerville, only to find that the town is plagued with corruption and connected to a criminal syndicate. A crooked local sheriff (Colin Hanks) and a ruthless crime boss, Lendina (Sharon Stone), pull the Mansells into a chaotic situation that Hutch initially tries to avoid—until, of course, he can’t. Expect arcade brawls, amusement-park showdowns, and a finale where Becca (Connie Nielsen) steps up at a crucial moment, giving the family dynamic a fresh, energetic boost. It’s simple, it’s silly, and it keeps moving.
The cast is the highlight. Odenkirk remains a delightfully unlikely action star — beleaguered, funny, and suddenly deadly. Stone hams it up with icy pleasure, making Lendina the kind of villain you love to despise. Hanks adds a teasing smugness to the badge, and Nielsen gets more to do this time, which pays off emotionally and viscerally. RZA and Christopher Lloyd step back in with a welcome, wink-filled presence, while John Ortiz adds layers around the edges. If the characters shift between hated and likable, that’s part of the fun: the movie keeps you switching between rooting for and laughing at almost everyone on screen.
This isn’t the same groundbreaking reveal as the 2021 original, where everyone wondered how it was working so well. The novelty has worn off, and the film is aware of it. Instead, Tjahjanto embraces campy humor—props, theme-park-style beat-’em-ups, and moments that make you wonder, “did they really just do that?”—while keeping the action clear and intense. The result is a straightforward “popcorn-and-go” experience, a late-summer palate cleanser that hits its marks and leaves before it overstays its welcome. The concise runtime is a bonus.
Nobody 2 is action-packed, goofy entertainment that never pretends to be more than a rowdy crowd-pleaser. It lacks the surprise and new-toy thrill of its predecessor, but the combination of Odenkirk’s sly everyman, Stone’s showy menace, Hanks’s oily foil, and Nielsen’s upgraded role makes this a breezy August watch. If your mood is “short, sharp, and a little unhinged,” you’ll walk out smiling. And yes, it really is only about an hour and a half.