In “Normal”, Bob Odenkirk plays Ulysses, but not the guy who undoubtedly first comes to mind when you hear that name. No, his Ulysses is a recently separated middle-aged man who arrives in the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota to serve as the interim sheriff following the sudden passing of the previous one. But it doesn’t take long for Ulysses to realize that Normal is anything but what it’s name implies.

Directed by Ben Wheatley, “Normal” is the latest movie in what seems to be a growing wave of genre cocktails. And I’m happy to say it is one of the better ones. “Normal” is full of surprises, from its terrific assemblage of great characters to its free-wheeling gory violence to its insanely wacky sense of humor. It never shortchanges any of the three, making this an interesting, action-packed, and routinely funny 90-minute romp.

Ulysses is an easygoing lawman who fills various sheriff vacancies around the country without rocking the boat. His plans for his eight-week stint in Normal is to hold the fort down until the upcoming special election. While there, he encounters an entertaining assortment of locals, starting with his two chief deputies, the unintentionally goofy Mike (Billy MacLellan) and the overly ambitious Blaine (Ryan Allen). Both help to get Ulysses acquainted with his new constituency.

But his deputies only scratch the surface when it comes to the lively residents of Normal. The town’s smarmy Mayor Kibner (a very funny Henry Winkler), a razor-tongued barmaid named Moira (Lena Headey), and the late sheriff’s rebellious daughter Alex (Jess McLeod) are just a few who make up the film’s colorful and comical collage of characters. Wheatley has a blast with them, especially once his movie takes an especially bonkers and bloody turn.

The snowy Normal itself is not unlike so many other small American towns – vacant buildings, no industry, dwindling population, etc. Still it has its small-town personality which comes from its people. But not everything in Normal is as it seems. In fact, almost nothing is. And this vividly comes to light when a harmless, down-on-their-luck couple attempt to rob the town’s bank. It triggers an avalanche of twists involving a vault full of loot, the Yakuza, and an interim sheriff who has to sort it all out.

“Normal” is penned by Derek Kolstad, the screenwriter of the first three John Wick films and Odenkirk’s two Nobody movies. In “Normal”, Kolstad combines the stylish ultra-violence of “John Wick” with the amusing subversiveness of “Nobody” to tell a story that could easily fly off the rails if not for its hilarious self-awareness. Wheatley handles the rest – serving up a taunt and punchy buffet of B-movie thrills and kills. And Odenkirk is the perfect centerpiece, matching dead-on deadpan with go-for-broke physicality.

And as I said above, “Normal” is full of surprises. Whether it’s the story’s many wild and wacky turns or the deliciously brutal bursts of blood-spraying violence, it routinely hits us with swings we never see coming. Wheatley does a great job holding it all together. He sustains a wildly entertaining pace while finding a nice balance between well-timed comedy and hardcore action. And the aforementioned self-awareness turns out to be an essential ingredient in this proudly preposterous and unabashedly excessive genre feast. “Normal” hits theaters April 16th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS