MOVIE REVIEW: NOBODY

 

Hutch Mansell fails to defend himself or his family when two thieves break into his suburban home one night. The aftermath of the incident soon strikes a match to his long-simmering rage. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must now save his wife and son from a dangerous adversary -- and ensure that he will never be underestimated again.

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Aleksei Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd

Release Date: March 26, 2021

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Rated R for strong violence and bloody images, language throughout and brief drug use

Runtime: 1 h 32 min

Review:

Nobody isn’t a John Wick spin off but it sure feels like one since it’s written by John Wick scribe Derek Kolstad. Ilya Naishuller’s film hits a lot of the same beats as the Wick franchise but there are some distinctive flourishes that allow it to stand on its two feet.  A sequence early on which displays Hutch’s everyday drudgery that shows some directorial talent and these types of sequences are used to great effect.  The entire film wouldn’t work if we couldn’t buy Bob Odenkirk as a believable action star and on paperwork it shouldn’t work but somehow it does.  Odenkirk does a strong job of playing his character as a pent up powder keg of furiosity in an unassuming vessel reminiscent of Ed Norton in Fight Club.  Connie Nielsen does solid work but her character is terribly underwritten which is a shame since she’s such a capable actress.  Aleksei Serebryakov villain is just as underwritten but he leaves a bigger impression through seer screen presence.  Serebryakov captures the unhinged madman frighteningly well which is aided by a particularly effective introductory scene.  Christopher Lloyd and RZA have fun supporting parts which come together in a bloody but incredibly fun finale which plays like Home Alone with a lot more kill shots.  Kolstad peppers the scripts to a larger world at play much like he did in the Wick series which points to franchise building.  As a standalone film, Nobody is a bloody mindless fun that begs you not to think about anything for too long and just enjoy the fireworks. 

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Brick Mansions

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the cinema with a heavy heart to see Paul Walker's final completed film, Brick Mansions.
 
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer.

A Detroit cop goes undercover in the city's most dangerous housing project, called Brick Mansions, a neighborhood so crime-ridden it's been walled off from the rest of the city.

Brick Mansions easily could have been a straight-to-DVD release, but for an attempt to cash in on Paul Walker's untimely passing. You'll find better performances in a third-grade Christmas pageant, though that's only partially the fault of the actors. The rest of the blame can be fairly divided among a predictable story, ridiculous dialogue, and broad, ugly stereotypes. Stylized action sequences are interesting to a point, but even in a relatively short film they manage to drag on a bit. The movie's dopey humor is ill-suited to the grim backdrop of a Detroit that might be even more depressing than the real thing, and any teeth the movie could have had were knocked out by the filmmakers' obvious determination to water things down enough to secure a PG13 rating.

Having said all that, Brick Mansions is salvaged somewhat by the fact that its ridiculousness seems deliberate. With the right mindset, it's actually kinda fun, and--if only they'd gone for the R rating--it might have been genuinely entertaining.

Brick Mansions runs 90 minutes and is rated PG13 for "frenetic gunplay, violence and action throughout, language, sexual menace, and drug material."

Brick Mansions is predictable, by-the-book action, littered with cliches and offensive stereotypes, but it can still be a good time if you let it.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Brick Mansions gets four and a half.

Until next time...

Nahhh...just messin' with ya!