Normal Proves Bob Odenkirk is the New Arnold Schwarzenegger

There have been so many essential breakthroughs in film since its inception. We have moments like the transition from silent films to the talkies, that time Tom Cruise slid across the floor in his tighty-whities, and the day Bob Odenkirk went from comedian to action movie star. The trend started with Nobody and Nobody 2, but I could see the argument made that it started with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. But no matter when, it happened, and we as a human race need to acknowledge that it was the best thing to happen since Arnold first appeared in action comedies. Each man is a master of both fields, but one went from comedy to action and vice versa for Arnold. Normal is the second big action-comedy that Bob has appeared in, after Nobody. It’s the proof in the pudding that he needs to be in all action films moving forward.

For Sheriff Ulysses (Odenkirk), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.

There is an almost Fargo level of comfort in the characters we meet at the beginning of Normal, other than the whole Yakuza bit but we will get to that. They have the hometown charm and accents to make you smile at their silly antics. For example, the Sheriff is being driven around by Officer Michael (Billy MacLellan), who wears a squeaky leather motorcycle jacket but doesn’t own a motorcycle. It’s a cast of likable, silly characters, even down to the superstar Henry Winkler. Normal lulls you into liking the people around the new sheriff.

That is, until the switch flips around 30 minutes into Normal, and the proverbial shit hits the fan. That is where we get to see this new side of Odenkirk as an action star. He’s firing off pistols, grenade launchers, and all sorts of weapons to protect two people who were just on the other side of the law before the twist. Every action sequence is a blast to watch with Bob at the wheel. Any wisecracks or bits that he does land like a stick of dynamite. I couldn’t help but cheer to myself as I watched the screener of the film, I will admit. Even if the film is focused on the big loud action and the town for the most part, there is one particular story beat that adds such depth by using Odenkirk’s Oscar-worthy acting chops.

While I will not spoil the whole story, I will say that there are skeletons in the interim sheriff’s closet that haunt him every night. There is a sequence where he awakens from a nightmare and sits up in bed. This is where I think Odenkirk shines not just as an action star or a comedy genius, but as one of the best dramatic actors working. When I watch a film, I focus so heavily on an actor’s facial tics and cues. It’s something I can’t help but notice because it defines the difference between good and great. And Bob Odenkirk is great. During these nightmare sequences, there is such an emotional response in his facial expressions. When he is sitting up, reeling from the thoughts that haunt him, there is a twitch in the left upper lip area of his face that feels so authentic that you forget it’s not real trauma.

Ben Wheatley’s direction of the screenplay by Derek Kolstad makes an action film filled to the brim with incredible shootouts and slapstick humor. There are many deaths in the film that make it feel like an action film version of a comedy of errors. So many things go wrong that lead to cosmic justice in some of the funniest ways I have seen in a while. It adds another layer of comedy to the film while still keeping the stakes real for the characters, because what can go wrong will go wrong.

From an early age, I consumed action movies like they were candy on USA Network or TNT when they would show edited-for-TV versions of so many Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. I saw this massive, muscular man kicking ass, but making me laugh so hard that milk would nearly come out of my nose while eating breakfast. While Arnold started as an action star to me and became a source of laughter, Bob Odenkirk took the opposite route. Coming from his comedy background with shows like Mr. Show, he’s taken the opposite route into action films, coming from the comedy side only to deliver hard on the action as well. It’s a marvel to see him take this spot at the top of the mountain, starring in films like Normal. I can only hope that these films reach audiences who can go from Bob “Action Star” Odenkirk to seeing just how many classic cars he has in shows like I Think You Should Leave.