For years, Liam Neeson, who only became an action hero when he reached retirement age, has been talking in interviews about hanging up his guns in order to be able to devote himself again to things that are easier to handle physically. However, with the involuntary departure of Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson, who will be busy with major directing work again for the foreseeable future, there was no equivalent successor in sight for the over-60s subgenre of hand-to-hand, shirt-sleeved cinema entertainment, which has now become surprisingly popular – especially thanks to the appearances of the Northern Irishman.
But Bob Odenkirk, who started out as a comedian, then established himself as a theater mime and became a series hero as a character actor in “Breaking Bad” and its spin-off “Better Call Saul,” recently impressively indicated with “Nobody 1+2” that he has also mastered this subject. With “Normal” by “Free Fire” and “Meg 2” director Ben Wheatley, he provides definitive proof of this – Mr. Neeson could now fulfill his wish!
While most of Neeson’s thrillers come across as grim and dry as dust, the thriller written by “John Wick” creator Derek Kolstad offers a large portion of pitch-black humor. These interludes, interspersed loosely and fluidly into the over-the-top madness of shooting and explosions, help the audience to better digest the rather brutal scenario and the routinely exaggerated characters that move within it.
Law enforcement officer Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) hopes above all that his new position in the small US town of Normal will finally give him peace and quiet.
Normal in the US state of Minnesota seems to be a typical small town. The main street is lined with a few shops: a hardware store, a craft supply store, a pub, a diner and a bank. Everything is completely, ahem, normal. And the residents don’t make an unusual impression either – most of them are actually extremely friendly. After the local sheriff dies during a nighttime ice fishing trip, experienced lawman Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) comes from out of town to take over the post on a temporary basis until a successor is chosen.
The fact that nothing at all seems to be happening in the town is more than acceptable to the good-natured man, who is still struggling with a traumatic event in his past and the subsequent breakup of his marriage. But the idyllic impression is deceptive. When the financial institution is attacked by a criminal couple (Reena Jolly and Brendan Fletcher) in transit, Ulysses uncovers a massive conspiracy. The entire community seems to be involved in this – from the mayor (Henry Winkler) to the doctor (David Lawrence Brown) and the bartender (Lena Headey) to his own deputies (Billy McLellan and Ryan Allen).
“Fargo” meets “John Wick”
“Normal” starts with a very harsh and bloody opening, entirely in Japanese, which may initially make some moviegoers doubt whether they are sitting in the right auditorium. What comes next could be described somewhat strikingly as “’Fargo’ meets John Carpenter’s ‘Assault – Night Attack’” or “Edgar Wright’s ‘Hot Fuzz’ meets Ben Wheatley’s own ‘Free Fall’ and of course ‘John Wick’”.
The main location of the title offers a snowy scenario for the over-the-top action sequences with a hail of bullets and explosions that dominate the second half of the film. Brutal gangsters are there, as well as a strange police force riddled with corruption. There is also biting black humor combined with some WTF moments about a likeable everyman who actually just wants to do his job. But then he suddenly has to outgrow himself in order to have any chance of survival in the chaos that is engulfing him and his temporary new home. And suddenly the opening scene, set on the other side of the world, makes sense. Despite the many references and parallels to other titles, the premise is ultimately quite clever and quite original.
Soon the once sleepy town will be firing on all cylinders.
At the latest in the last third of the running time, when the film switches into overdrive, one thing becomes clear: the screenwriter/producer Derek Kolstad, who was also responsible for the “Nobody” thriller with Bob Odenkirk, and his director were always aware of the absurdity of the spectacle they were presenting. That’s why they gave the film a certain lightness from the beginning, but also enough seriousness so that the audience remains emotionally involved even during the really pulpy parts (keyword: meat tenderizer and/or grenade launcher).
It helps a lot that the main actor, who is the focus of most shots and was also involved in the script, portrays his character in an authentic and down-to-earth manner. His Ulysses is neither a super cool, infallible hero like Neeson nor an unshakeable killing machine à la Keanu Reeves. Instead, the guy sometimes hesitates to shoot – even when he is in extreme danger. And he can also be wrong or make a stupid decision in the heat of the moment – just as he has made mistakes in his past that he still chews over when he is alone with himself.
Despite all the fun, there are also a few downsides
These character traits make the hairy moments for Ulysses seem much more intense and make us root for him. Because he may be a broken man, but he is still determined to at least try to do the right thing. This quality is shown in a truly touching way when Ulysses takes care of Alex (Jess McLeod from “It’s A Wonderful Knife”), the daughter of his dubiously faded predecessor. The young woman, hit hard by the loss of her father and her own history as an elite soldier, is actually ready to give up. But Ulysses’ handling of his fate, combined with his warmth and humanity, inspires her to get back up and support him in the seemingly hopeless fight against what’s going on in Normal.
Unfortunately, despite all the positive points, there are also a few somewhat annoying aspects of “Normal”. So it’s a shame that some of the big action scenes are literally underexposed and in the dark we can only vaguely see what’s happening in these moments. There are also a few too many thinly drawn supporting characters. Examples of this include the bar owner portrayed by “Game Of Thrones” star Lena Headey or the bank robber couple who set the plot in motion. And even if the sequences that are supposed to show the strange atmosphere in the city are fun, it still takes a little long until the real action finally starts. However, these small errors do not change the fact that “Normal” is an entertaining film that, in addition to some cool ideas, primarily thrives on the performance of its leading actor. A sequel would definitely be desirable – especially since there are several possibilities for such a sequel (or even an entire franchise) that make sense in terms of content.
Conclusion: “Better Call Saul” star Bob Odenkirk finally establishes himself as an over-60s action hero with this crime hit. While the shooting and detonating chaos breaks out around him, his protagonist always remains authentic and likeable. This cleverly balanced melange of exuberant madness and dry, humorous down-to-earthness puts you in a good mood and is welcome to be continued.