With the unlikely success of the film Nobody, who would have thought Saul Goodman, AKA Bob Odenkirk, would work so well as an action hero? But then stranger things have happened like this before, see Liam Neeson’s mid-career success as a butt kicking action star. With success comes sequels, and all the gang is back for part two.
Staying true to the law of diminishing returns, part two trades those rewarding elements of surprise for a supercharged bad guy (or girl in this case) and even more extreme carnage. It’s not as much of a stand-out as part one, but it is still a lot of fun. The fun this time is provided by Sharon Stone as Lendina and her gang of deadly malcontents. She almost vibrates with ramped-up energy and neurosis.
Revolving around a much-needed family vacation, the Mansells land in middle America at a run-down and super cheesy theme park that Hutch (Odenkirk) and his brother Harry (RZA) had fond memories of having once visited with their father, David (Christopher Lloyd). The park and the surrounding town are run by corrupt police under the command of the more than crazy Lendina.
It is inevitable that the Mansells and the local authorities will clash, and clash they do. The ultra-violence is mostly played for comic effect, and to say it is extreme is an understatement. As the body count escalates, so does the humour, and you find yourself laughing at the most inappropriate things, this forms the film’s core appeal.
Rob Hudson
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