Bob Odenkirk returns inNobody 2as a retired assassin who becomes a family man to wreak havoc on a new criminal empire, but this action sequel has many similarities to a John Hughes comedy classic.The firstNobodywas a nice surprisethat is often underappreciated. Odenkirk isn’t an actor many would consider an action star, but the film catered to his strengths well.
Firstly, his character, Hutch Mansell, is a seemingly regular guy who has a hidden identity that he keeps from his family. Odenkirk knows how to play a relatable man who’s trying to live a normal life in the suburbs with his family. However, when the action starts, theBetter Call Saulactor turns it on,committing to theJohn Wickaction stylethat propels this film over others in its genre.
In the sequel, Hutch is back to his assassin lifestyle but wants to take a break to reconnect with his family. He suggests taking the family to Plummerville, a water park/amusement park town that he once visited as a kid. However, their summer vacation is interrupted when Hutch finds himself entwined in the town’s criminal activity.
Nobody 2has a similar approach to the first, as the town’s corrupt cops and henchmen realize there’s more to this tourist than meets the eye. It also blends action and comedy, especially when it mixes the theme park elements into the fight scenes. With its vacation and comedic atmosphere, the film often feels like a remake ofa Hughes comedy classicfeaturing another iconic family.
Nobody 2 Is Basically An Action Version Of National Lampoon’s Vacation
Hughes wrote many of the most memorable comedies from the 1980s, includingFerris Bueller’s Day Off,Uncle Buck, andPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles. One of the earliest films he wrote was1983’s National Lampoon’sVacation. The film introduced the Griswold family, led byChevy Chase as Clark Griswold, an ambitious father who tries his hardest to create memorable experiences with his family.
In the 1983 film, Clark wants to take the Griswolds to Walley World, an amusement park located in southern California. Rather than fly, he elects to take his family on a cross-country road trip, with plenty of stops along the way. However, his dream vacation quickly turns into a nightmare as everything goes wrong, whether by his own hand or plain bad luck.
Vacationshares many similarities toNobody 2. The stories revolve around fathers who just want to go on vacation to reconnect with their wives and kids. However, things go wrong, andboth Chase and Odenkirk have their own unique ways of handling things. They both have short tempers and can easily snap when things don’t go their way, often resorting to violence.
John Hughes also wroteEuropean VacationandChristmas Vacation.
For example, when Walley World is closed upon their arrival, Clark grabs a BB gun and forces a security guard,played by John Candy, to take them around the park. Hutch deals with his problems similarly, but there’s one main difference: his guns are real. Clark may yell at people who frustrate him, but Hutch tends to leave them dead or with many bumps and bruises.
However,Hutch typically deals with actual criminals, rather than Clark, who deals with security guards and hotel clerks. Still, they are both fathers who just want to do right by their families, giving them shared stories with drastically different occupations.
Each film focuses on a family vacation that goes awry and concludes at a theme park, with the principal casts even being made up of a father, mother, son, daughter, an older family member - as well as a dog. The biggest difference isNobody 2has a more action-packed twist.
Nobody 2’s Differences From National Lampoon’s Vacation Make This “Remake” Work
Some notable differences betweenVacationandNobody 2are its settings. Hutch and his family are in Plummerville for most of the movie, skipping the family road trip to get there.Vacationchronicles the Griswolds' disastrous road trip to Walley World, saving the amusement park for the end. However,it’s the action that primarily setsNobody 2apart.
While both have comedic elements,Hutch handles his issues by beating everyone up or even killing people. He goes from beating up security guards with Whac-A-Mole mallets to killing members of a powerful criminal empire. The fights can often be hilarious, especially as Hutch and his allies booby trap amusement park ridesduringNobody 2’s ending battle.
It also shows how complicated it can be dealing with family issues while battling thugs and corrupt cops. Clark and his family deal with many problems throughout their journey, but nothing this life-threatening.Vacationis primarily a comedy thattests the limits of this family through radical and hilarious scenarios, rather than deadly ones.
Nobody 2works as an unofficial remake of the Hughes classic since it blends action and comedy rather than being a direct comedy.Vacationwas already remade in 2015, and that didn’t turn out great. It’s better that the Odenkirk film took such a drastic departure from the 1983 film, rather than trying to copy one of the best comedies of the 1980s.
