It’s a risky thing to underestimate anybody, or in this case, a nobody. The newest addition of action movies to join alongside Taken, John Wick and countless others of its genre, Nobody is a violent, funny action movie that shines brightly with its lead star Bob Odenkirk. This is his first appearance in an lead action role and he nails it perfectly. Nobody is exactly the movie you would expect it to be. From the trailers, tv spots and numerous posters, you get the idea of it before finding your seat in the theater. The result is an overall entertaining flick that is sure to please violence seeking enthusiasts and also provide some funny moments for fans of Odenkirk.

The movie opens with a bloody faced man sitting at a table, smoking a cigarette, pulling a kitten out of his jacket and proceeding to feed the cat a can of tuna! I’m not exaggerating here. To most people, this middle-aged man is a nobody. Just your average guy with a typical American family who works a mundane job day after day. Essentially, his life is rinse and repeat. The same activities, the same conversations with the family and nothing new to really speak of. That is until two idiot house burglars break into his suburban home and cause quite a ruckus.

We later learn that his name is Hutch Mansell (Bob Oderkirk). The robbers get the drop on him and even Hutch’s son Blake (Gage Munroe) even tackles one of them. Hutch later is able to get the upper hand in dealing with these robbers but instead does nothing. He lets them go. This simple act enrages his son and confuses his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen). Meanwhile, Hutch’s daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath) hides away and even wishes to have a kitten in the house. After the burglary, a police report is filed but it appears that nothing will be done in order to apprehend the suspects.

Life continues on and everyone gets word at what happened. At work, Hutch is accosted by his boss Eddie (Michael Ironside), who happens to be his father-in-law and even his brother-in-law Charlie (Billy Maclellan) who also works in the same company! Hutch just wants to move on with life and even suggests a family vacation. Problems arise even further when Hutch protects a woman on a bus from a group of drunken buffoons. A brutal fight ensues which puts a target on Hutch from a notorious Russian Drug Lord named Yulian (Aleksei Valeryevich Serebryakov). He’s quite the brutal guy and once he enters the story, the movie does slow down quite a bit.

With Nobody having a runtime of only ninety-two minutes, the movie does drag quite a bit. There’s plenty of action, brutal fights and some funny moments along the way, but given everything that the previews have shown already, you’d think the movie would fly by. As the movie moves forward, we learn who this Hutch guy was in his earlier years and begin to realize that he is one tough dude. Aside from doling out the punches, stabbings, kicking and gunshots, Hutch is now a family man whose life is thrown into a shredder. I did enjoy a good amount of comedy in the film as well as seeing the legendary Christopher Lloyd on the screen again. He plays Hutch’s father and he too has an interesting past.

If this sounds anything like John Wick, then you would be correct. Derek Kolstad, screenwriter of John Wick, wrote the story for Nobody. The dialogue feels similar, the action is at time unrelentlessness, if too much for its own good, and Hardcore Henry director, IIya Naishuller does a good job of making the action look good. Personally, I enjoyed the film for what it was and what it was going for. If you’re already familiar with the previews and hearing talk about this movie then you know what to expect when you purchase your ticket.

Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

Nobody offers a bloody good time for audiences looking to chill out for just under two hours. The plot is simple enough although it adds more than it needs to. Odenkirk really gives it his all and I really liked Aleksei Valeryevich Serebryakov as the villain even though he’s underutilized by the film’s end. Still, for mainstream audiences Nobody gets the job done and will certainly leave people with a smile on their face. For myself, I felt the movie dragged on for too long and the longer it went on, the less involved I became. The action is eye-candy to feast on, the sound effects are ear-piercing especially for some closeup shots and if you’re looking for a couple of laughs then this film delivers too. It’s a fun ride, but I’m not sure if I would be willing to sit through it a second time.