Nobody 2

The dust has settled and I am back for a short while this month.

Speaking as a light fan of the first movie I was stunned to learn that a sequel was being made, hell to be embarassingly honest I've been so out of the loop on new movies coming out this hit my radar about 2 weeks before release. Don't get old kids. But I'm kinda speechless to say I enjoyed this movie far far more than the first, maybe it was the familiarity with the characters or the emphasis on the family unit but this hit all the right buttons for me from the word 'Go'. And it's not much more complicated than the first, Hutch has been working so much he's been neglecting the family so he decides to take them on a vacation where he gets embroiled in this crime boss' affairs, because of course he does, and now papa's gotta take care of business. The first thing I really gotta say is despite the lack of action, the real stranglehold grip this movie had on me was you get to spend a lot of time with Hutch's wife and kids and while indeed the element was there and was quite good in the first, I just gravitated to it so strongly here. Connie you fucking gem of a woman, I'm honestly jealous as shit she's married in this movie because I would kiss the ground that mama bear walks on, and I do appreciate they give Becca a bit more edge here. The kids are pretty good too with Gage Munroe as Brady taking on his dad's violent urges despite Hutch wanting him to be a better man than he ever was, and Paisley Cadorath as Sammy who is the sweetest most cutest girl ever and boy did my protective side leap out at a certain scene involving her. Like I fully understood the urge to just whip someone's ass if they laid a finger on my daughter, no scratch that I would spill someone's guts onto the floor if they touched my daughter so papa Hutch is a man after my own heart. And yeah Bob is probably on even better form here truth be told, both as a character and as an action man with plenty of time going to both, showcasing his hard edged fighting style but also his wish and happiness to give his kids memories to look back on. It's not overt, it's more subtle but that's why it works so damn good. In terms of action I can count every major setpiece on one hand but each is different and impactful, they still very much like using random bits of the environment during the fights in true Jackie Chan style which I actually feel is harder and more gratifying to write than if it was a straight up gun/fist fight but it was solid stuff! I very very much enjoyed this movie and while I felt the sheer idea of a sequel seemed tenative I was pleasantly surprised and wouldn't mind a potential third entry if all the planets align. I'm sure the first was more of a sleeper hit and I'm hopeful this one will do even better, it is worth seeing in theaters I can tell you that much. So full 4 stars from me, 8/10, and next week we're shifting gears big time going back not only to 3 reviews for the week but allllll the way back to the golden age of cinema with some movies I've always wanted to talk about.

Nobody

F***in' A man we starting good this week!

This feels like a modern day Cannon movie to me, now you might be saying but Dude modern doesn't really go in the same sentence as Cannon Studios. To which I reply, Cannon is an art style. They know what they make and how to make it good, with the most famous of their films being in the actionsploitation, revenge story, and foreign action flick genres in their hayday. They took elements of that and gave it a modern spin here, and a mighty good one at that. The story follows a total average day guy who kinda blunders into the middle of a russian mob plot after his house is broken into so he has to take action to keep his family safe. Basic plot, but predictable it is not at least not in the way you think. Bob Odenkirk who I remember as a comedy man in the 90s damn near flawlessly pulls off the action hero thing despite him looking and acting like a guy you would see on the side of the street. He does have comedy to him but when the game is afoot and the pain is about to be unleashed, I buy it. He could f***me up something fierce, he plays the part wonderfully. It dips into some family drama here and there, and the movie does a good job presenting the kind of average yet kinda broken family element which brings some good character points as the movie goes on. It looks really good too in cinematography, the editing while mostly normal has it's special moments where it's very sleek and expertly timed, the soundtrack is kickass and I'm saying that even about the Louis Armstrong track, and the action is shot well. From fisticuffs on a bus, to the home invasion scene, to the final shootout, it's all handled super well. I had a fantastic time with this movie, the movie on multiple occasions got me to exclaim, clap, and get excited. It really hit all the right buttons for me, and I do strongly recommend it if it sounds up your alley. 3 stars, 8/10, catch you tomorrow for another new to video action film.