Ben Wheatley’s Normal

Ulysses Richardson is no Andy Taylor. The substitute sheriff would be the first to admit he stopped caring a long time ago. Consequently, he surprises himself when he follows the example of Will Kane and Buford Pusser, standing alone against corruption in his latest posting. Unfortunately, his new found integrity might very likely get him killed in Ben Wheatley’s Normal, which opens today in theaters.

Until the special election, Richardson will serve as the sheriff of Normal, Minnesota. He basically just shuffles papers, but weirdly, the Mayor Kibner so likes his “light touch,” he suggests making it permanent. Of course, that makes Richardson suspicious. The circumstances of his predecessor’s death are also disconcerting. That would be the late Sheriff Gunderson, just like in Fargo.

Frankly, people in town are just plain weird. They also raised millions of dollars for a new city hall and have stocked the sheriff’s office with military grade armaments. Even a substandard cop like Richardson smells something fishy, but the interim sheriff is still shocked when his own deputies start firing on him during an ill-prepared bank robbery, to prevent him from getting a good look inside the vault.

John Wick and Nobody franchise creator Derek Kolstad turns Bob Odenkirk lose to do what his anti-heroes do best. If you like those movies, you will enjoy Normal too.  Arguably, it is more conventional than Wheatley’s previous films (Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, etc.), but he gleefully cranks up the violent mayhem to deranged levels.

However, Kolstad and Wheatley also invest heavily early on to fully establish Richardson as a character, so he wears increasingly comfortably over the course of the film, like an old sweater. Odenkirk was also perfectly cast, because he deftly balances the temp-sheriff’s amiability with his sarcasm and sadness. Seriously, Richardson also has franchise potential. Maybe the next movie could take place in a town named “Decent.”

Beacon 23, on MGM+

In this far-future universe, AI’s have some legal recognition of sentience, so maybe the new actor and screenwriter contracts will be invalidated. Of course, they are still programmed to serve mankind and given Asimov-esque prime directives. Frankly, humanity has more pressing work for them than movie-making, because starvation and strife are strangling the far-flung human colonies. This “space lighthouse” is stationed in a remote corner of the galaxy, but it might be on the frontlines of human evolution and first contact in creator Zak Penn’s Beacon 23, based on the novel by Hugh Howey, which premieres tomorrow on MGM+.

Due to a freak malfunction, Beacon-keeper Solomon Smythe is unable to warn an approaching space cruiser of the dark matter iceberg in its path. Only one soul is saved aboard the life-pod he rescues. As luck would have it, she is Aster Calyx, an operative of the QTA company, dispatched to investigate the mysterious rocks he discovered orbiting the beacon.

Complications soon set in when Bart, the station AI unmasks Smythe as military deserter Halan Kai Nelson, who replaced the real Smythe. Nelson tries to hold Calyx captive, but her personal semi-sentient holographic AI, Harmony, soon has her freed. She and Nelson will have to forge an uneasy truce to defend the station against the pirates (or “wreckers”) we see forcibly entering the station during the first episode’s prologue. Indeed, they seem to have a lot in common when they start to understand how the stones drew them both to Beacon 23.

This is sort of “big dumb object” science fiction, except the “artifact” seems smarter than any of the characters. It is also a lot like Solaris, but with more action (which isn’t hard to accomplish). The AI can also be a bit twitchy, but Bart never goes the full HAL 9000. You might recognize many elements, but Penn and the writers re-assemble them in ways that feel fresh.

The alliance between Calyx and Nelson evolves in a manner that is interesting and credible. Lena Headey and Stephan James develop a nice on-screen rapport that definitely helps the series flow. Yet, some of best episodes are flashbacks to earlier eras on the Beacon. Howey’s source novel is a “fixed-up” of five related short stories, which is reflected in the series. However, in this case, it brings more variety that actually distinguishes Beacon 23 from other recent shows (like The Ark or Silo, also based on a Howey novel). Every major flashback is justified (except maybe the in media res opening), because they establish information and events that will be hugely significant later.

George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones

The Lord of the Rings and Narnia films proved there is now adequate technology to credibly adapt epic fantasy for the big (or small) screen. Having sufficient time is a separate issue. Readers of big fat fantasy novels are not simply interested in hack-and-slash action. Exotic world-building and impossibly intricate plotting are arguably even more important for them. Enter HBO, who have done right by the fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels with their ten episode series adaption of the first book, Game of Thrones (trailer here), which debuts this Sunday night.

“Winter is coming” says the motto of the House of the Stark, but winters in the Seven Kingdoms have a bite beyond mere cold temperatures. Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark understands winters and wars better than anyone. A grizzled veteran who prefers his northern provincial home to life at the court in King’s Landing, he is ever loyal to his monarch and former comrade-in-arms, Robert Baratheon. However, when the “King’s Hand” (essentially a Viceroy) dies under mysterious circumstances, Stark reluctantly accepts the position. It will be awkward though. There is little love between the House of Stark and the House of Lannister, whose ranks include Queen Cersei and her arrogant twin brother Ser Jaime.

While the Lannisters give Stark plenty to worry about, there are other storms brewing on the horizon. Viserys Targaryen, Baratheon’s vanquished rival for the throne, has made an alliance with the barbarian hordes of the east, betrothing his sister to their Khal. Meanwhile, Stark’s illegitimate son Jon Snow has joined the Night’s Watch, which stands guard over the great northern wall, where there have been disturbing reports from the “lawless lands” on the other side.

Naturally, everything gets very complicated. In fact, those just looking for a little swordplay might grow impatient with the first two installments. Still, Game’s knack for ending each episode with a dramatic revelation should keep most viewers hooked. Fans of the novels should be especially delighted with the series’ attention to gritty details that vividly bring Martin’s fantasy world to life. Time is also profitably allotted to explore dozens of relations that a two hour feature would have had to sacrifice, such as the sparring sessions and life lessons dispensed to Arya, the youngest Stark daughter, by her fencing instructor, who looks and sounds as if he stepped out of a Rafael Sabatini novel (that is not a bad thing).

Coming in with serious swashbuckling credibility from his work as Bernard Cornwall’s Richard Sharpe, Sean Bean was the perfect (and perhaps only) choice to play Stark. He effortlessly combines a commanding presence with an unassuming integrity. An alumnus of sitcoms and The Full Monty, Mark Addy is surprisingly effective as the blustering, tempestuous king. He also has some intriguingly nuanced scenes with the beautiful Lena Headey, who makes a riveting Lady Macbeth figure as Queen Cersei.

Undeniably though, the real breakout fanboy superstar from Game will be Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, the queen’s hedonistic younger brother, known as “The Imp” for his diminutive size. Recognizing the appeal of a good anti-hero, Dinklage plays his role to the hilt, chewing the scenery and visibly enjoying his character’s wickedness. It is contagious. The Imp’s scenes crackle with verve, giving the series a jolt of energy with each and every appearance.

Game is a laudably ambitious undertaking that works remarkably well based on the evidence of the first six episodes. It gets epic fantasy right and definitely leaves viewers wanting more at the conclusion of each installment. While not especially violent (though there are certainly some intense sequences), parents should fully understand Game is not Narnia. There are plenty of elements that will definitely remind viewers they are watching HBO, the home of Michael Apted’s Rome, if you follow. Regardless, most relatively mature viewers should be absorbed by its intricate story and first-rate effects. Definitely recommended, Game’s first episode, Winter is Coming, debuts this Sunday (4/17), only on HBO.