The town may be called 'Normal,' but Bob Odenkirk's unlikely action hero isn't

Is Bob Odenkirk “Nobody” oregon is helium “Normal”? The continual self-effacement of his characters successful his caller action-hero epoch is thing helium and screenwriter Derek Kolstad volition person to instrumentality up with a therapist, but the latest installment successful their “Surprise! Bob Odenkirk kills people!” micro-genre is “Normal,” a rubric that indicates thing mean astatine each is astir to hap connected screen.

What adjacent is “normal” anyway? In the movie directed by Ben Wheatley, it’s the sanction of a quintessentially American tiny municipality successful Minnesota, wherever Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) is serving a impermanent displacement arsenic interim sheriff aft the decease of the erstwhile occupant of the office. He’s somewhat delighted by the Norman Rockwell-esque country helium walks into, detailing his surroundings successful extended voicemails to his estranged woman that service arsenic a narration.

But Ulysses’ words don’t lucifer what we spot connected surface (nor the prologue acceptable astatine a concealed gathering of yakuza gangsters). He extols however bully and, yes, mean everything seems portion simultaneously clocking the details amiss successful his office, similar the well-stocked, unlocked armory and the decease certificate for the deceased Sheriff Gunderson (Pat Harris, seen lone successful photographs).

That’s right, Gunderson, the sanction made celebrated by that different Minnesota noir, the Coen brothers’ 1996 deed “Fargo,” for which Frances McDormand won an Oscar playing a precise large constabulary chief, Marge Gunderson. But the happening astir overtly referencing a movie arsenic comic and deft arsenic “Fargo” is that it’s lone going to marque america deliberation astir “Fargo,” truthful your movie amended beryllium conscionable arsenic bully — oregon astatine slightest travel close. Alas, “Normal” does not.

“Fargo” recovered its wit successful the juxtaposition betwixt “Minnesota Nice” and the dark, transgression underbelly it explored. “Normal” tries to bash the aforesaid but is unsuccessful. No 1 adjacent attempts the accent and a fewer kitschy phrases aren’t going to chopped it, not adjacent from supporting stars similar Henry Winkler and Lena Headey.

“Normal” is calved not conscionable of the Coens but Tarantino too. Wheatley’s earlier work, particularly his 2016 representation “Free Fire,” is steeped successful the snarky hyperviolence that the shaper of “Reservoir Dogs” pioneered. “Normal” sits precisely successful that portion of excessive gunplay punctuated by needle drops and ironic expressions.

There’s different DNA strand provided by screenwriter Kolstad, who besides invented “John Wick.” He seems to beryllium penning the aforesaid screenplay implicit and implicit — bully feline reluctantly proves he’s got a acceptable of precise peculiar skills — but present incorporates those ’90s references, borrowing the mounting of “Fargo” and the Japanese inspiration of Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” bringing the yakuza to Minnesota. That’s the town-wide concealed that the outsider sheriff hasn’t uncovered yet, adjacent though helium tin odor that something’s not rather right.

It’s besides a small spot similar “The Wicker Man” (1973), successful which a closed assemblage summons whom they judge to beryllium a hapless policeman to service arsenic a autumn feline of sorts. But Ulysses is sharper than they expected and amended with a weapon than anyone, by far. This is 1 of those endeavors that has perfectly nary information and nary stakes due to the fact that you ne'er judge that our leader is successful danger. (“The Wicker Man” astatine slightest had the guts to bash that.)

The Rube Goldberg instrumentality of a crippled is kicked disconnected erstwhile a down-on-their-luck mates rob the section bank, mounting disconnected a bid of events that volition effect successful a snowy nightlong standoff, with the full assemblage turning connected Ulysses, who teams up with Sheriff Gunderson’s orphaned kid Alex (Jess McLeod). Fire and crystal bash clash beautifully, but the enactment present is simply serviceable and dark.

You tin acceptable your ticker to the clockwork of this (blessedly) 90-minute script: At 40 minutes the unit kicks in, astatine an hr Ulysses experiences a astonishing betrayal. Everything’s explained again and again successful speeches, but determination isn’t overmuch to instrumentality distant but that 1 shouldn’t usage loaded weapons arsenic decor successful a restaurant.

The irony and meaninglessness of the carnage rankles, particularly erstwhile Ulysses is presented arsenic specified a bully feline who is prone to de-escalation successful his day-to-day work. Wouldn’t this quality beryllium aghast astatine the magnitude of random citizens taken retired successful these endless firefights? Instead helium conscionable reaches for immoderate pie.

The desensitized bloodshed mightiness consciousness frighteningly apathetic but the alternative, searching for answers successful a movie astir instrumentality enforcement gunning down citizens successful Minnesota, isn’t preferable astatine all, dontcha know.

Walsh is simply a Tribune News Service movie critic.