Bob Odenkirk has now starred in a trio of action flicks, but he still has a way to go before he matches the older grizzled action hero status Liam Neeson has.
In Odenkirk’s latest film, he portrays Ulysses Richardson, a law enforcement officer who’s taken the role of temporary Sheriff until the county of Normal can elect a new one. The county seat is also named Normal, and that’s where Ulysses finds himself trying his best to manage a smooth transition to a permanent replacement.
It’s the latest in a string of temporary jobs he’s taken since a traumatic experienced flipped his life and marriage upside down. But his latest stint starts to look less mundane than he first thought. As his law enforcement instincts kick in, he begins noticing suspicious things, and it leads to a thrilling ordeal he didn’t expect.
As a Minnesotan, it’s always a pleasant surprise when light gets shined on the Land of 10,000 Lakes via film. “Normal” does earn a couple of points from me there, especially for embracing the wintry weather that extended all the way into April for us this year. However, the film doesn’t have enough positives overall for a complete experience.
The main problem with the movie is an overabundance of ideas without managing all of them well. Odenkirk, director Ben Wheatley and writer Derek Kolstad clearly brought a lot to the table with this project, and there are some fine concepts at play. However, the juggling act with all of the premises isn’t quite successful.
One example of this is how the picture treats its characters who side with the protagonists in the feature. At one point it appears like it’s going to be one character. Then, as the film gets into the second act, two other characters are brought in who team with the hero, before they completely disappear.
After that, the film goes back to that aforementioned character who Ulysses first met as the secondary protagonist. This is an issue, because it doesn’t allow these side characters to get fully developed, nor is time allotted to build genuine relationships between them and Ulysses. It’s ultimately a detraction because it feels underdeveloped and incoherent.
The same is true with some other side characters who enter and exit the film at seemingly random times. There’s simply a lack of consistency. It’s the same case with the tone, too. There are moments where it seems like this movie wants to be more serious, especially when it comes to what’s in Ulysses’ past. His pathos comes across rather grounded.
Yet it’s completely at odds with the very over-the-top action-comedy vibes this movie goes for. Odenkirk partnered with Kolstad on the “Nobody” series, which had those vibes, and it’s clear they wanted to bring some of those elements here.
But it’s also certain they wanted to go in some different directions with darker vibes, too, even including a bit of commentary on the decay of small-town America. This leads to a rough tonal clash. This factor effects the action as well.
The flick does offer legitimate entertainment value. The action scenes are intense, include a few unique weapons and the sound work is terrific. The noise of the punches landing and the guns firing adds to the excitement. However, big portions of the action are also very over the top, reaching cartoonish levels at some points.
Ultra-violence is fine, but it has to fit, and here it sometimes feels too much. Also, if you’re going to make it over-the-top, bring in some Minnesota-specific pieces to the action. Include some snowmobiles, have Odenkirk wield a hockey stick, or get icicles involved.
To be fair, the film is acted well enough. Odenkirk is convincing as a man who has lost most of his drive and is just getting by from one day to the next. Ulysses is a man who’s troubled by his past and isn’t in a good place, but has humor, charm and a good nature that allows him to still relate to others in a real way. Odenkirk captures that nicely.
The supporting cast is pretty good for the most part, too. Henry Winkler, for example, is having a fun time. However, the material they’re given is hit and miss. That kind of sums up the experience with the flick overall. Unfortunately, despite some action and comedy working, the inconsistencies at play mean slightly more misses than hits. 2.75 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 