Ilya Naishuller's 2021 action flick "Nobody" starred Bob Odenkirk as a boring office wonk named Hutch who has lost all the respect his wife and kid may have ever had for him. He's a nobody. Of course, the twist is that Hutch has, all this time, been a secret government-employed badass who is highly trained in fighting, firearms, and exciting action violence. He tries not to start fights because he could easily murder any potential attacker. By the end of the film, Hutch will have become involved in a plot of the Russian mafia, forcing him to fight back and kill dozens of people. More importantly, Hutch's family -- and most notably his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen) -- will see what a badass he's been this whole time.

There is a satiric element to "Nobody" that rings morally irresponsible (but in a delightful way). It clearly serves as a violent power fantasy manifested by a middle-aged man growing into dull complacency. My family hates me? Well, as far as they know, I'm a secret assassin badass who kills criminals and gangsters. One can tell it's a fantasy because it works. Once Becca learns Hutch contains so much violence in his heart, she comes to respect him again. It's a bleak fantasy reminiscent of David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence," but with the wild, exciting edge of watching a comedian like Bob Odenkirk committing "John Wick"-levels of mayhem. One may also recall the pervasive sadness that hung over the first half of "Nobody" like a storm cloud. It's a movie with some edge.

Timo Tjahjanto's new sequel, "Nobody 2," has no edge, no sadness, and no ironic redemption via violence. Instead, it's a merry (and very bloody) action adventure closer in tone to "National Lampoon's Vacation" than the previous "Nobody." It's a riff on "Road House," the "Death Wish" sequels, or any other enforcer/vigilante franchise that has wearied of action movies' usual po-faced earnestness and just wants to get to the fun parts. It's less meaningful, but it's a hoot.