it feels like bob odenkirk has been waiting for a blockbuster to break out with for a while. not that a guy like odenkirk (best known, of course, for better call saul) needs to be in a big-budget effects or explosion-laden extravaganza by any measure. he certainly -- and i am far from the first person to express this -- isn't your standard action hero type. but odenkirk has seemed to be bubbling just under the a-list for a while; an absolute star who consistently delivers some of the best performances out there, but who isn't the kind of guy you market a film on by name value alone. nobody proves that wrong. there is a lot to love in this film, from derek kolstad's surprisingly funny and thrilling script that grounds itself in rootable characters to director ilya naishuller flexing his action credentials with some crazy sequences. naishuller was previously known best for hardcore henry, an all-style, no substance adrenaline shot of an action flick that i didn't love. he's grown a lot in the last six years as a filmmaker, investing his sequences with a sense of fun and style that was lacking in the henry. naishuller also populates his film with disposable but charismatic villains and a supporting cast effectively filled by connie nielsen, rza, and the absolute delight that is 82 year-old christopher lloyd kicking ass. even with all that to enjoy, the lynchpin is odenkirk. as hutch mansell, a seemingly ordinary guy who gets pushed into a place he doesn't want to be against russian mobsters out for his blood, odenkirk is perfection. he finds the right mix of humanity, humor, and unstoppable asskicker to make hutch an instant favorite action hero. by no means is he indestructible here, and that's a benefit. naishuller runs odenkirk through the wringer, battering him this way and that. hutch takes plenty of lumps along the way, which makes his transition from average guy to action hero believable. he's not formidable because he can shrug off bullets; he's terrifyingly good at what he does because he's resourceful, ruthless when he needs to be, and has an iron will to do what he has to do. the obvious comparison here that people will make and are making is john wick, which makes a lot of sense. the two films share a writer in kolstad and a motif. they do very much feel like they could fit in the same world. and i won't lie; john wick and hutch mansell teaming up to take out scores of hitmen is something i would be ecstatic to see. that said, this is a film that can stand on its own and while it doesn't have the action flair that chad stahelski invested in the wick films, it's no less entertaining for that because it has odenkirk to rely on. i have no idea if we're going to see more of hutch mansell, but if we get that opportunity i will be right there for the next one.