Would-be family guy Hutch Mansell is unavoidably back to his ultraviolent old ways, conspicuously absent from the dinner table as he accepts a string of incredibly dangerous, top-secret government “assignments” to pay off a massive debt incurred back in the first movie. He and the brood are in serious need of a vacation, and so “Nobody” heads to the middle of nowhere, a nostalgic retreat from his youth that’s definitely seen better days. Unfortunately, trouble finds Hutch right about the same time he finds trouble, and before he can figure out what they’ve stepped into, the entire Mansell clan has run afoul of crooked cops, shady businessmen and a criminal megaboss who wants them all wiped out.

Just shy of an hour and a half, Nobody 2 certainly doesn’t drag, but the brisk pace glosses over some characters and relationships, and saves even more time by defaulting to some action movie cliches. This sequel’s greatest strength is once again the inherent affability of star/producer Bob Odenkirk, who manages to endear us as he dispatches countless foes with a ruthless, bloody efficiency bordering on glee.

Part of his charm lies in his lack of self-consciousness, and the crystal-clear closeups share every wrinkle, pore and sign of world-weariness on the face of both the actor and the character. Props too to co-star Sharon Stone who’s left vanity behind to embrace her maturity in her portrayal of the malevolent Lendina. Textures are likewise sublimely precise, and wide shots flaunt crisp lines. Colors in this Dolby Vision grade are truly extraordinary, often downright gorgeous. Nobody 2 was shot digitally on the way to a native 4K master and the resulting 2.39:1 image showed no imperfections whatsoever, with even intentionally hazy shots looking stable and organic.

The assured audio mix actively engages all our speakers, with off-camera cues serving to put us into the various locations, and the impressive playlist of eclectic pop tunes are given an impressive spread and fidelity across the soundfield. As we would hope, the testosterone-infused tale is steadily reinforced and occasionally punctuated by strong LFE for an effortlessly exciting ride.

The bonus features are adequate, I suppose: eight deleted/extended/alternate scenes and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. These repeat across the included HD Blu-ray disc and Movies Anywhere digital copy. For the first movie in the franchise, the director recorded two separate commentaries, but this time… nobody.

Chris Chiarella