Bob Odenkirk does it again…he just keeps us entertained! This time it’s in an action-comedy movie where Hot Fuzz meats Nobody. 10 years ago, if you told me that the actor playing Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul would be an action star, I would have proclaimed “you’re crazy,” but here we are in another film just like the Nobody movies where he plays a character that’s outgunning bad guys with rapid comedic delivery and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The film is called Normal, made by the same guys who brought you John Wick and Nobody and are no strangers to action-comedy films. But Normal is a film where Bob Odenkirk is at the top of his game. Let me just go ahead and say it, I loved it! I highly recommend this film and here’s why!!!
With action-comedy films you always get your money’s worth. Very rarely are these kinds of movies boring because they know what they are…They fit a particular genre and when you have the right cast that has great comedic delivery you’re going to be entertained. Bob Odenkirk plays a down and out Sheriff who takes a temporary assignment in a town called Normal (insert irony here) only to find that the town is not what it seems. It’s carrying a big secret, and it definitely gives off those Hot Fuzz vibes without blatantly ripping off one of the greatest action-comedy films of all time. Once the sheriff finds out the big secret, he has to essentially fight his way out of town while taking down the bad guys. And I don’t want to say too much because I am not spoiling this film for you since it’s something worth seeing in the theater…yes, it’s worth the price of a movie ticket. And almost perfect 90 minutes where you are never bored. That’s always a step in the right direction because so many movies can instantly make you bored and not want to finish the film. Normal is not one of those movies. In fact, I bet you’ll want to see it again…I know I do! The pacing is great. The action is fantastic. The death scenes are funny and not too over the top. But best of all, this film does everything it needs to do to entertain you in 90 minutes. I’m always complaining about pacing in movies and this film is not too short and not too long…it really is the perfect run time.
Now, it’s easy to complain that Bob Odenkirk is basically playing the same character from the Nobody films…I get that criticism! However, Jason Statham is basically playing the same character in every one of his movies and he can still entertain us. John Wayne basically played the same kind of cowboy in every one of his movies and still entertained us. My point is this is not really a critique that should stop you from seeing the movie. The only real criticism I have is not knowing enough of the backstory. It seems funny to criticize that, but as a storyteller I always want to know more. Although, that’s a minor critique because we find out everything we really need to know about the story and still be entertained. Of course, some characters are short-lived and there’s one in particular that I felt like died too early…sorry, no spoilers, but if you’re like me and love this actor, you’ll be disappointed he’s not in the movie longer. Overall, this movie doesn’t disappoint and is very entertaining. Not the overuse the word, but with so many bad movies that come out every year, I think the best we can really ask for is just to be entertained. Normal does that And if you’re a fan of Bob Evan Kirk as you should be, this is one of his best performances even if it seems very familiar. There’s certainly room for a sequel and I hope we get to revisit this character again just like we did with his character in Nobody. And if you want to know my favorite scene, it is at the end… the big dinner death scene! I’ll leave it at that because I’ve already said too much and I recommend that you grab a movie ticket now and go see this movie. It’s 90 minutes of pure action comedic bliss.
