Posts Tagged ‘Gage Munroe’

NOBODY 2: 3 STARS. “a showcase for Odenkirk, and he remains a lot of fun in the role”

SYNOPSIS: In “Nobody 2,” the sequel to the 2021 action hit, sees Bob Odenkirk as assassin and family man Hutch Mansell in need of a break from the mayhem of his day job. On vacation with wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), son Brady (Gage Munroe) and grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) at Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway amusement park, he stumbles into viper’s nest of illegality overseen by a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), a shifty sheriff (Colin Hanks), and a bloodthirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone). “I just want a break,” says Hutch.

CAST: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, Billy MacLellan, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Christopher Lloyd, Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, Mckenna Grace and Sharon Stone. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto.

REVIEW: The trouble with “Nobody 2” is that the titular character, the nobody known as Hutch Mansell, is now a somebody. Fans of the first film know the character, know his backstory and know what to expect. It’s a sequel, so the fights are a bit longer, the explosions a bit louder, but even though it’s a lively time waster, it doesn’t deliver anything new.

Once again, Odenkirk is a charismatic everyman, a relatable guy who also happens to be a one-man army. Part of his appeal lies in his approachability. When he’s not swinging fists, he’s the guy you see on the subway, or at the dog park or at the coffee shop. He’s an Average Joe with a bad temper and a way with a line and Odenkirk finds the tricky balance between the hostility and the humor.

He punctuates violent scenes with an exasperated, “I just wanted a break,” and, after his son picks a fight in defense of his sister at the amusement park, Hutch says, “I understand protecting your sister. It’s instinctual but there are other ways.” It’s funny because Hutch’s method of dealing with issues usually leaves people in the hospital or worse, and the switch to giving fatherly advice is not only disingenuous, but in context, hilarious.

“Nobody 2” is a showcase for Odenkirk, and he remains a lot of fun in the role, so it’s too bad the movie isn’t as fun as he is.

BROTHERHOOD: 3 STARS. “powerful message of strength by community.”

Ninety-three years ago Balsam Lake, a long and narrow body of water located in in the City of Kawartha Lakes in Central Ontario, made worldwide headlines when a freak summer storm brought tragedy to a group of men canoeing on its waters. The story, largely forgotten today, is brought back to vivid life in “Brotherhood,” a new film from director Richard Bell.

It’s the year 1926. A group of young men, many teens among them, are spending the hot and steamy July at Long Point Camp on what now might be called an eco-adventure but was then thought of as two weeks of male bonding, canoeing, sing-alongs and character building. Led by Great War veterans Arthur (Brendan Fletcher) and Robert (Brendan Fehr) they head out on a routine expedition in a thirty-foot canoe to gather supplies but capsized off Grand Island. For hours the group, the team leaders and thirteen boys, fought against the cold, unforgiving waters for survival.

“Brotherhood” begins with a buoyant boyhood feel of anticipation. The campers are excited, friendships are building, the tone is very Heritage Minute. From there Bell flashes back and forth from the good times on dry land to the struggle on the open water. It’s an effective treatment that ups the stakes. It allows the viewer get a clear and concise before-and-after look at the boys as they change from young men into adults over the course of one very difficult night. Heroes are formed in adversity and the survivors, just four, become a band of brothers, thrown together by fate.

Along the way the script provides plenty of foreshadowing. People say things like, “a hero is just a man too afraid to run away,” and one even quotes Shakespeare’s famous “Henry V” “For he today that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother,” speech. It feels heavy handed and melodramatic by times but there is no denying the power of the film’s message of strength by community.