Bob Odenkirk Kicks Ass And Takes Names In New, R-Rated Action Thriller

By Chris Sawin
| Published 19 seconds ago

In Osaka, Japan, three yakuza have disgraced their boss. With death being the only other option, they are asked to cut off part of their pinky fingers as a sign of loyalty. Two of them perform the task without hesitation, while the last one chickens out. He is beheaded on the spot. The two surviving yakuza are sent to Normal, Minnesota, to redeem themselves.

Three weeks later, Sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) is sent to Normal as the temporary sheriff for eight weeks. Ulysses is easy to get along with, personable, and laid back. He relates to people and can talk to them, but he also knows when something doesn’t feel right.

Odenkirk Operating On God Mode

Everything in Normal is fairly routine, as paperwork and telling people that “there’s nothing to see here” is essentially what Ulysses does all day long. That is, until a bank robbery occurs and Ulysses stumbles onto a secret that he’s never meant to see.

Directed by Ben Wheatley (Meg 2: The Trench) and written by Derek Kolstad (the John Wick and Nobody films) and Odenkirk, Normal is a fast-paced action thriller. At 90 minutes, Normal doesn’t try to be anything that it isn’t. The action is heavy, the premise is simple, and the humor is amusing enough to remain entertaining throughout. It may be worth noting that Normal continues the common action film trope of one guy being able to battle off hundreds. It’s understandable if that’s too much of an issue to enjoy the film, but honestly, its unlikely concept makes the events that unfold all the more enjoyable.

‘Saul Good, Man

As Normal progresses, you can tell that something isn’t right in Normal. Even Ulysses is hiding something that isn’t revealed at first. However, the separation from his wife is something he’s open about from the moment the character is introduced. Ulysses hasn’t spoken to his wife in a long time, but he calls her regularly and leaves voicemails. What he says in those voicemails serves as the film’s narration.

Ulysses is always calm and is plagued by the same nightmare at the one motel in town he stays at every night. Odenkirk has moments where he’s able to be poignant and rightfully distant. The character isn’t overly emotional, but Odenkirk’s performance portrays Ulysses in a positive light. He doesn’t take the temporary sheriff gig too seriously because the one serious aspect of his life fell apart because of him. However, when it hits the fan, he seems to know how to handle the situation.

Come For The Carnage, Stay For The Contrast

Outside of Ulysses, a flaw that Normal has is that there isn’t much character development outside of “here’s this town in the middle of nowhere full of schmucks, now watch them all die.” Henry Winkler is around long enough to introduce himself as the asshole mayor, while Lena Headey is Moira, the town bartender who has little to no backstory other than she can play pool and always has booze on her.

The rest of the Normal police force is just as forgettable. Deputy Mike Nelson (Billy MacLellan) does nothing but kiss Ulysses’ ass while Deputy Blaine Anderson (Ryan Allen) lets Ulysses do all the hard work as sheriff before he thinks he’ll be able to take over the role full-time. The film introduces Alex (Jess McLeod) as a trans character with a troubled past, but very little is done with them, and the character’s ending is a little disappointing.

The action sequences are where Normal reels you in, and everything in the film changes after what is discovered in the bank vault during the robbery. Taking place in Minnesota, Normal is either a film set in constant snow or one that’s actively snowing throughout. There are two gunfights, and they are visually awesome because of the color contrast. There’s gunfire in the snow at night, which is this battle of sporadic yellow muzzle flashes from guns and the soft white snow falling to the ground.

Soon after, there’s a gunfight in one of the shops when the power is out, and the visuals are almost nothing but darkness. Those explosive muzzle flashes are set against a nearly black interior, with glimpses of the attackers and whatever weapon they’ve chosen. There’s a free-for-all battle featuring everybody near the end of the film with squishy, breakneck violence where nearly every person on-screen dies in some gruesome way. At 63, Odenkirk is surprisingly solid at hand-to-hand action sequences, even if there are a lot of noticeable cuts.

Normal is a flawed action film, but it uses its basic concept effectively. Its throwaway characters are used to a kick ass and bullet-heavy advantage while the action is swift, brutal, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is a bite-sized action film that delivers unabbreviated destruction.

Normal is now playing in theaters.