Revenge movies have long been popular because they let us live out the fantasy of getting even…a chance real life rarely offers. Of course, few of us actually cross paths with Russian mobsters or have a secret life that requires our government personnel file to be redacted. But all of the above is in play for director Ilya Naishuller’s Nobody, his follow-up to Hardcore Henry.

While watching this, numerous other movies kept popping into my head, but front-and-center were the John Wick movies. It wasn’t until afterward that I discovered this film’s writer was Derek Kolstad, the creator, and writer of the first three John Wick movies to date. Knowing that leads to the obvious comparison of leading men – Keanu Reeves versus Bob Odenkirk. Yep, the same Bob Odenkirk who owns the Saul Goodman role from “Breaking Bad” and its terrific spinoff, “Better Call Saul”. He’s not as cool as Keanu, but it’s the risk of casting against type that prevents this from being same old, same old.

Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, a suburban husband, and father, working as a bookkeeper at the shop owned by his father-in-law (Michael Ironside, Total Recall, 1990). A brilliantly edited opening sequence shows us the daily drudgery of Hutch’s life. The rapid cuts tell the story of a man whose existence involves taking the bus to a dead-end job, filling his coffee cup, receiving little respect or affection from family, and yelling at the backend of a garbage truck. Things only get worse when, one night, intruders break into his home. His teenage son (Gage Munroe) springs into action, but Hutch freezes, and is viewed as weak by just about everyone.

It’s at this point where Hutch awakens – his secret past coming back to life. Now, you might chuckle a bit at the thought of Odenkirk playing a man who once was so dangerous, he was known as an “auditor”…the last person you want to see at your door. Well, that’s not likely to be your last chuckle, because the over-the-top moments are just getting started. Hutch fights a group of thugs on a city bus, and the one that dies just happens to be the little brother of Russian mobster kingpin Yulian, played with gusto by Aleksey Serebryakov (Leviathan, 2014). Like us, Yulian underestimates Hutch, and most of the movie is spent with every living Russian gangster trying to end Hutch.

Hopefully by now you have worked out now that Naishuller’s movie is cartoonish in nature, and has no sense of realism or logic. If you’re not quite sure yet, you should know that 82-year old Christopher Lloyd (as Hutch’s ex-FBI father) joins in on the action – and I mean, he actually joins in on the shootouts. Think of “Mayhem” from the Allstate commercials and you get some idea of the exaggerated shoot ‘em up/ blow ‘em up nature of the action. Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, 2000) plays Hutch’s wife and RZA plays Hutch’s equally talented brother.

If one squints and twists, there is some insight into today’s emasculated male – those more likely to bake lasagna than take down an intruder. But mostly it’s just exaggerated revenge action in a way that mirrors John Wick, rather than Death Wish (1974) or Straw Dogs (1971). Director Naishuller gets extra credit for poking fun at the never-ending ammo issue in most action movies, and it might have benefitted from a bit more humor along the lines of the kitty cat bracelet. Fans of the John Wick movies will likely find enjoyment here, but probably “nobody” else…especially those looking for Saul Goodman cleverness.