“Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.” - Tyler Durden
We’ve seen the ultimate assassin rampage in revenge. Lately however there seems to be a surge of the every man finding themselves in extraordinary situations being left with no alternative but to fight their way out. Knowing how to fight makes for fantastic action sequences but when presented with a character whose daily routine includes picking up after their dog can introduce an entirely new variance of fighting that can naturally lend itself to the funnier side of extreme violence. Novocaine thrives on this concept repeatedly combining gory mayhem with countless absurdities leaving us with no other choice but to belly laugh.
Another theme I’m noticing is these kinds of roles going to the most unassuming actors who you could otherwise never imagine them in any kind of confrontation beyond that of a stern, verbal meeting in the boardroom of their workplace. Bob Odenkirk, an office worker and secret government sanctioned assassin. Mr. Show himself, Saul Goodman the skittish ambulance chaser playing a highly trained killer. And better yet? He’s convincing in the role too. Hell, it’s hard to imagine now but at one point the studio execs needed convincing to cast Bruce Willis as John McClane. Can you imagine any other human being trying to play that character but him? No you can’t. Well now here we are, at the hopeful precipice of another burgeoning action hero, Jack Quaid.
Unlike his now fellow action counterparts, in Novocaine, Quaid is not a secret badass hiding in plain sight. No, the sign at the edge of his desk that says “Assistant Manager” is exactly who Nate appears to be. He is the most meek, introverted soul you ever laid your eyes on. The advantage for Nate, when inevitable chaos befalls him, is his total inability to feel physical pain and turning this condition into a weapon of sorts against the assailants who have just kidnapped the woman of his dreams. Suddenly bearing witness to a life where he shares his hopes and dreams with another human and watching it potentially being stolen forever, despite every fiber of his being screaming for him to stand down, he pursues diligently.
Sometimes a movie is based entirely around a gimmick. Edge of Tomorrow is a day that repeats itself over and over. Groundhog Day is the same. These concepts can become tiresome if not enough focus and energy are given to the surrounding themes that are meant to support the overall story. If all you have is the gimmick it will falter and eventually fail. With Novocaine, the obvious gimmick is the main character not feeling physical pain being thrown into highly physical situations. Okay, he can’t feel pain, now how do you build upon that? I think this is where Novocaine really succeeds.
It utilizes the idea of no pain and adds to it by forcing the character to behave in ways that up until this point have been counterintuitive to his very survival. Now that he finds himself in situations like fighting for his life or trying to survive a doomsdayer’s residence suddenly forces his most undesired inclinations to take front and center. The introverted, timid, friendless bank manager now must embolden himself to save the one person who sees his self-perceived shortcomings as endearing idiosyncrasies.
It provides continuous motivation for a character who doesn’t have to put himself at risk like he is and no one would question why he didn’t go after the bad guys to save the girl and win the day. Add to this his inability to perceive pain and you have a concoction of frivolous violence, darkly themed comedic value and perhaps most importantly, an always entertaining premise that carries the weight convincingly from start to finish.
Jack Quaid handles the physicality of his role wonderfully. He maintains a mostly realistic take on someone who knows nothing about self defense finding ways to defeat his more trained opponents. Of course some liberties had to be taken for his character to actually succeed in so many unwinnable situations but overall it keeps intact the importance that he is in no way trained for anything but loan approval. And when his total lack of pain comes into action he plays it perfectly, sometimes finding the ingenuity of utilizing his condition to win or to simply make whatever he’s going through incredibly funny. In a particularly bloody interrogation scene, he is both maneuvering his way out of his captor’s grasp and delivering comedy gold.
Novocaine is delightfully violent, surprisingly naturally hilarious and the characters all shine in moments that only strengthen the premise and push the narrative forward in a desirable fashion. It knows when to lean into the gimmick and when to let it rest on the bench for a reprieve. This is an effortlessly entertaining action flick that takes a simple concept and expands on it with amusing, nuanced characters, an exciting storyline and visually arresting fight sequences. It’s a competently made, comedically viable, action packed popcorn movie that progressively entertains even as it gets more and more ridiculous.
Rated R For: strong bloody violence, grisly images, and language throughout
Runtime: 110 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Jacob Batalon, Ray Nicholson
Directed By: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Out of 10
Story: 7/ Acting: 8/ Directing: 8.5/ Visuals: 9
OVERALL: 8.5/10
Buy to Own: Yes.
Check out the trailer below:
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