Novocaine
Rating: 4/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
There are hundreds of action thrillers, where the big, buff man goes on a killing spree to right a wrong, get back a loved one, or save someone from danger. They usually follow the same beats, and the outcome is usually the same in almost every one of these films. But Dan Berk and Robert Olsen's new movie, "Novocaine", starring the wonderful Jack Quaid, flips those movies on its head and provides a non-stop, heartfelt and fun action comedy that is perhaps one of the most unique action thrillers in the past few years.
The film follows Nathan Caine (Quaid), who has a rare nerve condition where he can't physically feel any pain. He thought this was a curse he had to live with his whole life, until he finds himself going after the bank robbers (Ray Nicholson, Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst) who not only killed his boss, but kidnapped the love of his life, Sherry (Amber Midthunder). Along with his inability to feel pain, an online friend he's never met before (Jacob Batalon) and a little start in the right direction, Nathan must now put his life on the line to save the love of his life.
From the start, this movie is hands-down just tons of fun and a roaring good time from beginning to end. The story is very cheesy and not meant to be taken very seriously, and I think that benefits the film for the most part. Many of these action thrillers try too hard to be edgy or dark, and this one simply just wants to take the audience on a rollercoaster, with their hands up the whole time. From the beautifully choreographed action sequences to the fun cinematography that captures these moments in time throughout this dangerous day, it all combines to work together so effortlessly and beautifully.
I love the comedy throughout this movie, and how they made the protagonist so relatable and fun. He is simply an everyday-man, and from the outside, there wouldn't be anything special about him. But this film peels back the layers of his character and we learn more about him and start to appreciate him more than perhaps the other protagonists in this film genre. The comedy is fantastic, and I felt like almost everything landed like it was supposed to.
Quaid proves he's movie star material here, following in his parents' footsteps. I don't even want to say that Quaid got his break from his parents because it is obvious he has worked for where he is at now, and it is finally paying off in this movie. The film allows him to have fun with the role and the character, and really lets him inject his own personality and humor into it. This was the perfect role to have Quaid play, and I simply couldn't imagine another actor playing him. I'm ecstatic to finally see him play the hero, and get to standout and show off what he can do as a bonafide movie star.
The rest of the cast here is not only equally as fun as Quaid, but gives their own unique spins on these characters. I absolutely loved what Nicholson did with his role, and he has that same sort of crazy energy that his father did decades ago. It is obvious he is having tons of fun playing the bad guy here, and I loved the sheer craziness in his character and performance. I also really liked Midthunder here, and I really enjoyed what they did with her character and character arc. She is a character that could relate to the things Nathan went through, and they touch on some topics that could be considered taboo for a movie like this. They really flesh out the characters throughout this movie, and they don't feel as 2-dimensional as in some other action thrillers. Midthunder just has great chemistry with Quaid, and like the lead actor here, you can feel her give it her all and put her own spin on this role. Batalon is also very fun and hilarious, and I do wish we had gotten some more of him.
The only complaint I do have about this film is that I simply wish there was just a little more action and fight sequences. When we do get them in this movie, they're tons of fun and keep the viewer engaged and on the edge of their seats. But, I feel like they are few and far between here, and I wanted to see our likable and relatable protagonist fight a little more against different bad guys and thugs. They also don't really go into the background of the little crime unit that is robbing these banks, even though we get a little insight into the villains working in it.
I had tons of fun with "Novocaine", and I think this is easily one of the best movies we have received this year so far. When we keep getting repeats of the same story and uninspired films that are very mediocre, it's very refreshing to get a fun movie like this, one that is original and keeps you on the edge of your seat with a smile on your face the whole time.
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