Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses Richardson in a scene from "Normal." (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
The ultraviolent action film used to have a bad reputation. An onslaught of mind-numbing mayhem, peppered by inane dialogue, its detractors argue. They've come in various forms, from glossy and star-studded to gritty and rough around the edges. But in recent years, they've become the great unifier among movie buffs of differing backgrounds. They're common ground for genre junkies who won't give arthouse fare the time of day and cinephiles who appreciate the aesthetic pleasures of an entertaining shoot-'em-up.
Thus, it gives your intrepid reviewer no pleasure to report that “Normal,” a new neo-Western with a high body count and pitch black humor, is a wash, a lackluster rehash of the better films that inspired it. The latest entry in star Bob Odenkirk's current career juncture as an action hero of a certain age certainly looks good on paper, with its blend of police procedural, small-town eccentrics, yakuza intrigue, elaborate shootouts, slice-and-dice melees and a moose on the loose. But something feels off about the finished product, as if a bartender at a dive bar had handed you a glass of fresh orange juice and whole milk.
Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses Richardson and Jess McLeod as Alex in a scene from "Normal." (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
Odenkirk is not the problem here. The charismatic thespian, so brilliant as oily attorney Saul Goodman in AMC's “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” shares a story credit with screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who penned the “John Wick” movies and Odenkirk's own “Nobody” franchise. The star's fingerprints are all over the story of Ulysses Richardson, a washed-up lawman for hire whose latest gig is babysitting the (fictional) town of Normal, Minnesota, while town officials search for a new sheriff.
Ulysses, who says his name enough times for us to wonder whether Odenkirk and Kolstad want us to think of James Joyce, is all too glad to be a floater during this transitional period for this quaint municipality with cute stores and a motel right out of “Psycho.” Then he starts noticing things that don't quite fit in with the rest of the town's cozy trappings, like the loaded shotguns hanging like trophies at a local diner, or the military-grade firepower in the armory of the Normal County Sheriff's Office.
But the biggest red flag of all is the previous sheriff's untimely passing and the dubious circumstances surrounding it. Ulysses, who is dealing with a crumbling marriage that's currently on time out, crippling trauma from his past and a drinking habit that won't go away, feels his crime-solving mojo spring back to life. One wonders what all these guns and explosives, not to mention the open hostility from the locals that Ulysses encounters at nearly every turn, have to do with the sequence that opens the film, which introduces us to a sword-wielding yakuza boss and his unfortunate underlings. What business could they possibly have with a tiny Midwestern town with cool temperatures and hot temperaments?
A botched bank robbery by a desperate young couple who'd heard the whispers about Normal's secret is meant to kick the film into high gear, Instead, it lays bare a void where empathy ought to be. Kolstad's screenplay is serviceable enough, even though there is too much exposition and way too much voiceover narration (justified as being extended voicemails Ulysses leaves to his estranged wife, but still). Alas, the man calling the shots here, English director Ben Wheatley (“Kill List,” “Free Fire”), just isn't up to the task of delivering on the potential of a story with echoes of films like “Bad Day at Black Rock,” “Kill Bill, Vol. 1,” “Hot Fuzz” and Clint Eastwood's “High Plains Drifter,” not to mention the wintry vistas in Joel and Ethan Coen's “Fargo.”
Lena Headey as Moira and Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses Richardson in a scene from "Normal." (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
All of those films gave us characters worth giving a damn about, but Wheatley can't be bothered to make us feel invested. He's too busy setting up a decapitation or other similarly gruesome kills. There's a reason his 2020 adaptation of “Rebecca” for Netflix, starring Lily James and Armie Hammer, is barely remembered. When it comes to matters that involve soul searching, Wheatley is all thumbs. The early scenes, which find Ulysses grappling over past deeds, feel like something from a different movie. Wheatley's more at home staging bloody carnage, then having a laugh at his characters' expense. Like just about everything else he's directed, kindness is in short supply, and as the bodies pile up, our interest in Ulysses' predicament wanes.
Don't blame the cast, even the supporting players who are short-changed by the filmmaking team's apparent lack of interest in them. Lena Headey, who played the scheming Cersei Lannister in “Game of Thrones,” fares best out of the otherwise one-dimensional townsfolk as Moira, a bar owner with her own secrets, and small screen legend Henry Winkler clearly relishes playing Normal's casually crooked mayor, even if it's essentially a throwaway role.
Henry Winkler as Mayor Kibner and Ryan Allen as Deputy Blaine Anderson in a scene from "Normal." (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
But this is Odenkirk's show, for better and mostly for worse. Ulysses' view of his temporary duties as interim sheriff, a thankless task to fulfill in his eyes, initially piqued my interest, not to mention the paintbrush mustache he rocks throughout the film. But as “Normal” bares its fangs, you can hear the plot wheels grinding into place. Then it devolves into a glib bloodbath that aims to send you home with a smile on your face.
In theory, it should be a kick to witness Odenkirk's transformation as he plunges into the Liam Neeson circa “Taken” chapter of his career. This past weekend, the 62-year-old talked about the challenges of preparing his body to shoot an action movie at his age when he accepted the Precious Gem Award during the 43rd Miami Film Festival, where “Normal” had its Florida premiere. While it was a pleasure to see him talk about his unorthodox career trajectory, I'm going to have to disagree with him when he calls his latest effort “fun.”
Peter Shinkoda as Joe and Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses Richardson in a scene from "Normal." (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
Wheatley might serve up some competently choreographed action, especially toward the end, but mostly, it is yet another reminder of how actors of Odenkirk and Headey's caliber, who gave life to such iconic TV characters, have struggled to find film projects worthy of their stature and screen presence after their shows ended. In the frigid and unsatisfying “Normal,” you want to root for them, but there's precious little joy or verve in this empty shell of a genre-splicing underachiever.
Moderator Megan McLachlan and Bob Odenkirk at a Q&A following the Florida premiere of "Normal" at the Olympia Theater as part of the 43rd Miami Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Ruben Rosario)
“Normal” is now showing across South Florida in wide release, including at AMC Aventura, AMC Sunset Place, Silverspot Cinema in downtown Miami, CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19, Regal Kendall Village, Regal Dania Pointe and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood.
