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When Liam Neeson made the first Taken movie, it transformed him from Oscar-nominated actor to lovable action hero—opening up a whole lot of new possibilities for his career in the process. And the violent new thriller Nobody sets out to do the same for Bob Odenkirk—but not as successfully.
Nobody stars Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered suburban dad who’s stuck in a dull daily routine. When two thieves break into his house one night, Hutch doesn’t do anything to fight back—even as his teenage son tries to step in. Hurt by the loss of his son’s respect, Hutch decides to do something about it—beginning with tracking down the thieves. But when he runs into a group of drunken thugs on a bus and unleashes his carefully contained rage to protect a young woman, he ends up targeted by a Russian mobster (Aleksey Serebryakov).
As Hutch finds himself and his family threatened by a bunch of Russian tough guys, the character transforms and secrets from his past are revealed. There’s more to this bland, everyday guy than meets the eye—and it all comes rushing to the surface when his family is put in danger. And once the film reaches that point, it shifts from the story of a beaten-down nobody into a big, bloody free-for all.
Unfortunately, though, there’s just something about Odenkirk that doesn’t work as a gritty action hero. Liam Neeson is a big, burly guy with a deep voice—the kind of guy that you can see throwing a few punches if needed. Keanu Reeves—who’s no stranger to action—can pull it off well into his 50s because he has that dark, mysterious edge. And while Odenkirk may be believable as a funny guy—or even as a shady lawyer—he just doesn’t work as a guy who can beat down five tough guys on a bus. Instead, while the character might be willing to stand up and fight, it all comes off in an awkward, suburban-dad kind of way. The only thing missing is the flood of bad dad jokes while he’s beating the bad guys to a pulp.
Once the action builds, the film is surprisingly raw, with plenty of stomach-turning violence and even some touches of dark humor—but it all just feels a little off-balance.
For fans of John Wick-style ultra violence, Nobody fits the bill. It’s simple but raw and graphic. With a different lead—one who feels more believable in the role—it may have been more successful and less awkward.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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