Is there anything Odenkirk can’t do? His laid-back, unassuming demeanor is one of his greatest gifts, and he puts it to great use in Normal, at least when he’s not gouging baddies in the eye with a sharp implement or crushing skulls under truck wheels. Normal may not be groundbreaking, but it does come equipped with a wicked spirit and some great B-movie energy. The film’s centerpiece is an extravagant bloodbath, set in an old-school small-town restaurant: Its paneled walls are bedecked with stuffed animal heads and (loaded) firearms, and there’s a jukebox loaded with actual 45s. The sequence, a symphony of spontaneous screams and spurting arteries, is scored to Dr. Hook’s 1979 pop ballad “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman,” a stupidly wonderful song you may not have heard in years, if ever. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” in any film, let alone a violent action movie. Its use may be Normal’s most original stroke, but we’ll take it. Never underestimate the power of a jukebox surprise.
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