Normal

Bob Odenkirk re-teams with Derek Kolstad for another action-heavy flick that dads will definitely enjoy.

Only, this time around, Odenkirk stars as a temporary sheriff who is called to act as an interim in the snowbound town of Normal, MN. There, he uncovers an international criminal conspiracy at the heart of this seemingly quaint and sleepy Midwestern town.

And that's really all there is to this film.

Bob Odenkirk's character isn't a secret government assassin of some kind; he's just a normal police sheriff who isn't interested in shaking up the status quo. That is, until he unintentionally gets involved with aforementioned criminal conspiracy.

But it's the lack of special skills that makes his character, Ulysses, feel more relatable than Hutch from Nobody. He's not unstoppable and he's not unkillable; he's just a normal guy who can and does get his whooped from time to time.

On top of that, Ulysses is also dealing with a recent separation, which helps in portraying him as a sympathetic hero. Not a particularly complex or complicated one, but one that is engaging enough to carry the story being told here.

To that point, Bob Odenkirk is definitely the best thing about this movie. Not that the rest of the cast is bad, by any means, but no one else really gets the chance to stand out. I mean, Lena Headey and Henry Winkler are in this cast, but the film doesn't utilize them as effectively as it could.

But, much like its own main character, Normal isn't trying to shake up the action genre. Its a simple little action flick, and it excels at being just that. 

There are plenty of fun and entertaining action sequences here. None of them are all that memorable, but they're still very well done. So, while I may not be familiar with his past films, I wouldn't mind watching more action flicks from director Ben Wheatley. And I would obviously love to see Odenkirk star in a million more dad-core movies like this.

So, while Normal isn't quite as good as either of the Nobody films, it's still a thoroughly entertaining feature nevertheless. Sure, it may be a bit thin on characterization and plot, but there's enough here to keep you engaged from one set piece to the next. Even if those set pieces are a bit predictable.

All of which is to say that Normal is a perfectly fine and normal film. One that would get a mild recommendation from me.