"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