Author Topic: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME  (Read 876 times)

Offline perc2100

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NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« on: April 30, 2021, 11:20:30 AM »
"John Wick except w/Bob Odenkirk & a kitten instead of a puppy."

That's the gist of it, with a maybe unlikely action stud in Odenkirk vs Keanu Reeves, and if that log line sounds enticing you're going to happy with this film.  JOHN WICK writer/creator Derek Kolstad took the formula that worked so well in the original Reeves film (that he also expanded, writing all the sequels so far) and juxtaposing it juuuust enough to make something just as fun and enticing to viewers.

Odenkirk plays a former government operative (a 'cleaner') named Hutch, now retired and laying low in suburbia with a family and a menial factory-type job.  After his home is broken into, Hutch's half-brother teases him a bit (via old school radio) and he gets the itch to get back into action again: not only taking down some punks terrorizing normies on a city bus but also taking the quest to recover his stolen stuff.

The action and look of the film isn't quite as stylized as the WICK series, but maybe you shouldn't expect that type of smooth, splashy visuals with a 'nobody' main character.  The fun in this is watching Hutch revert back into fighting (and shooting) shape as he chased by a Russian mob crew who's brother was one of the punks Hutch put in the hospital from the bus incident.

Seriously: this is such an obvious riff on WICK it's almost funny.

And yet in the fact of what almost feels like a blatant rip-off, this is still a wildly entertaining film that works on every level it strives for.  A simple story with a solid cast and direction, coupled with a tight 90-ish minute runtime, makes for fun times.  A kind of low-key highlight is Christopher Lloyd, who play's Hutch's dad in a retirement apartment; RZA plays Hutch's adopted brother who's also fun.  When the Russian mob comes after Lloyd for revenge on Hutch, the third Act kicks into high gear as the family bands together and builds to a really fun climax.

The soundtrack is also a lot of fun, with classic pop songs played both ironically and a bit on-the-nose, though in a fun way.  For example, when Hutch's rage explodes on the bus "I've Got To Be Me" plays as the film builds to Hutch taking on the Russian punks.  The fight begins w/out music: just the raw sounds of the fight in a nice stylistic choice that underscores the brutality and adrenaline rush of the moment.

Some may find it hard to get over that this is clearly a JOHN WICK clone, but it's not like Wick is such a unique character in its own right.  This is definitely a fun movie, and I would absolutely watch another adventure with Hutch.

NOBODY is currently playing in theaters and also available On Demand
« Last Edit: April 30, 2021, 11:58:05 AM by perc2100 »

Offline perc2100

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2021, 11:55:46 AM »
A fair criticism is the theme of "suburban middle-aged family man = emasculated & said man ONLY comes back 'alive' when he ramps up violence again" that feels prevalent in NOBODY.  I can understand that reading of the film, and get if someone is turned off.  I see the film more as a modernized take on something like DEATH WISH, with the "regular guy take vengeance on ___" theme: a pseudo-exploitation genre that is often entertaining (note: Bruce Willis' DEATH WISH remake is pure trash and in no way entertaining).

I did think it was fair to mention the flip of the coin take on this film, though: it could be perceived as toxic masculinity (and again, I think that's a fair take given the themes and story arc of the film).  While I'm cognizant of all of that, it didn't bother my enjoyment of the film at all.  Also, Bob Odenkirk is so awesome in general he has a loooooot of leeway for me  ;D

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #2 on: Today at 04:41:15 AM »

Offline Chris

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2021, 12:05:38 PM »
I'm looking forward to this one.  Waiting to buy instead of rent.

Offline TardisMom

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2021, 01:11:16 PM »
We rented it last weekend and thought it was a BLAST!  Definitely a fun popcorn movie.

Offline dolphina

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2021, 07:03:02 AM »
I’m going to have to rent it then. It’s supposed to be in high 90’s again today. I’m staying inside and watching tv.
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Offline Pyramid

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Re: NOBODY - Bob Odenkirk as John Wick = AWESOME
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2021, 12:33:33 PM »
Rented it last night and LOVED it!  Watched it three times so far. 
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