LIKES:
Fast Pace
Engaging Sound/Music
Great Well-Timed Lines
Ridiculously Funny
Creative Fights/Finishes
Good Acting For This Movie
A Lot Of Fun References
Cinematography Works
Summary:
The poster of Novocaine tells it as it is: The movie is fast, ridiculous, and straight to the point. It's a fast ride into this odd rescue operation that has a quick intro to set things up before diving into the big event. From there, the movie is like a video game where stages are intense bouts of comedic brawling that have just a few interludes to reset and progress the story. It's got enough logic to make all the theatrics work and the ridiculous idea plausible in this world of extravagant heroism. The fights are creative, a blend of comedy and craziness that works well to keep the audience laughing and promising some of the action alongside it. It's bloody, raw, and vicious, but it's wonderful on so many levels in how diverse they kept things in these fights. A wild collection of sound editing and a fantastic soundtrack accompany the movie and give it that flair that rolls with the craziness. The movie manages to incorporate a lot of references into the movie in the form of props, callouts, quotes, and mimicry that were very welcome, utilized to a grand extent to keep the entertainment coming. Many of these lines were so well-timed that I burst out laughing from how amazing the jab was. The acting helps to bring all of this to life, with Quaid continuing to take his awkward style and twist it comedically in different ways. A stark contrast to his Companions character, I loved the character he got to make and how well he unleashed that quirkiness. Wrap it all up with great camera work to keep the action in the scene, but also find unique angles to get the moment in.
DISLIKES:
Too Stupid At Times
Suspense of Disbelief Is Sometimes A Bit Much
More Character Balance
Action Is Reasonable But Bland
It Could Have Been A Bit Deeper/Twist Executed Later
Watch the Language
Hard-to-Watch Scenes
Summary:
The movie is very stupid, an aggressive twitch that will not be for everyone and may not be noted in the trailers. For one thing, the movie requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. The condition may be plausible, but the degree of injuries he faces approach, if not surpass, John Wick levels of pain. To then have the logic deficit and timing inconsistencies adds the cherries on top to this silliness sundae, which those who must have believability need to avoid. Past that, the movie still needs a bit more balance in some of the characters, a bit more balance for the three groups to help flesh out a little more story, a bit more depth in the mystery, a bit more suspense, and a bit later implementation of the twist to bring that knockout punch. The action is reasonable in this film for the comedic component, a realistic execution of this situation, but one that needed a tad more action to give you the excitement the trailers promised. Fortunately, the movie accomplishes the entertainment value enough to offset this and is more than enough to have you laughing. As for the other limitations, the language is a bit harsh and lazy in execution to the point that it gets annoying and will irritate those with low sensitivity to cursing language. In addition, my friends who struggle to watch bouts of torture, suffering, and extreme cruelty to the human body are going to need to divert from this film as well. The blood alone could be sickening, but the movie only gets worse in terms of suffering and gore as it continues, and the camera captures every ounce of detail in big-screen glory. Please make sure to exercise caution.
The VERDICT:
Novocaine is nuts, fun, and just plain popcorn-munching flick that I've needed for a while. It's a ludicrous concept that requires great blindness to reality, yet it keeps itself grounded to not get too out there to be obnoxious. A well-cast crew helps bring the comedy and characters to life, nailing the dialog with exceptional finesse, awesome inflections, and the right amount of emotion for every moment. The action is not as composed as John Wick, but for the story and comedy, it works to be entertaining and keep the mood elevated and supportive of the fast pace. Yet, the movie is very hard to watch for sensitive viewers, earning its R rating with pride at the violence it brings to the screen. Novocaine is a blood sport that tries to tone it down with silliness but still has plenty of skin-crawling moments when the torture is applied or a particular blow is illustrated so graphically. Throw in that the logic of the movie is going to be less appeasable to those with a sensitivity to such a plot. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Yeah, for all the visual effects and fun, it works for most people just looking for a good time, while others can choose to hold out for the theater if you are looking for something with more layers and suspense.
My scores are:
Action/Comedy/Thriller: 8.0
Movie Overall: 7.0.
