Norm of the North (2016) – Full Spoiler Review

Poster for Norm of the North 2016 Movie — Official Poster Norm of the North 2016 Movie

Bear to be different

PG
1h 26m

Directed by: Trevor Wall
Screenplay: Malcolm T. Goldman
Premiered: January 14, 2016
Language: English
Status: Released
Budget: $7,000,000.00
Revenue: $17,062,499.00
Country: India
Ireland
United States of America

Norm of the North

4.7/10 (351 vote)

★★★★★★★★★★

Production: Lionsgate
Splash Entertainment
Telegael
Assemblage Entertainment
and 3 more

Spoiler

The animated feature Norm of the North, released on January 14, 2016, presents a rather peculiar cinematic experience, one that began its life as a direct-to-video project before inexplicably securing a theatrical release. This origin story, as noted by critic Tim Brayton, goes a long way in explaining the film's overall quality, or rather, its lack thereof. Despite its modest worldwide box-office earnings of approximately $27 million, the film's reported budget of $18 million suggests a degree of profitability, though Brayton expresses skepticism regarding the production costs, citing the "came pre-installed with the software" aesthetic of its animation, character models, and textures. This budget-conscious approach positions Norm of the North as the most economical American-made animated feature to grace cinemas in 2016, a fact underscored by its dumping into the typically barren January release window. Expectations, therefore, were understandably low, yet the film managed to fall short even of these diminished hopes.

The narrative centers on Norm, a polar bear voiced by Rob Schneider, who possesses the unique ability to communicate with humans. Norm's life in the Arctic is disrupted when his icy home begins to melt and break apart, forcing him and his three lemming companions to venture out into the wider world. Their journey leads them to the bustling metropolis of New York City. Here, Norm finds himself in an unexpected role: a corporate mascot. This new life, however, quickly reveals a stark and troubling truth: his employers are directly implicated in the environmental devastation of his homeland.

The film's visual presentation is a significant point of contention. Brayton describes the animation as "hideous" and characterized by a "herky-jerky" quality, with characters constructed from the simplest geometric shapes and lacking any discernible flexibility. This rigid animation style contributes to a general lack of charm, making the characters appear almost lifeless. Even the titular character, Norm, a polar bear who would rather dance than hunt, is rendered with a stiffness that detracts from his supposed personality. The lemmings, intended as comic relief and clearly inspired by the popular minions from Despicable Me, are a trio of small, often incontinent creatures. Their antics, which include frequent urination in various inappropriate locations, are a recurring, if not entirely successful, comedic device. One particularly memorable, or perhaps infamous, scene involves Norm pulling a screaming lemming from his posterior, a moment that Brayton suggests could be either a sign of lazy animation or a deeply buried, subtle joke. The lemmings' bodily functions extend beyond urination, with Brayton noting their ability to "fart so hard that they must have, like, shit themselves," a testament to the film's often crude humor.

The plot, as it unfolds, is described as a "world-class awful screenplay" by Brayton. The core conflict revolves around saving the Arctic glaciers from land developers who intend to build condominiums directly on the ice. This seemingly straightforward evil plot is, in the hands of screenwriters Daniel Altiere, Steven Altiere, and Malcolm T. Goldman, transformed into a confusing and convoluted mess. Norm's motivation for the first hour of the 90-minute film remains unclear. He is initially presented as a bear who prefers dancing to hunting, and his ability to speak to humans places him in a position to understand the machinations of businesswoman Vera Brightly (Heather Graham) and the corrupt yoga enthusiast and archcapitalist Mr. Greene (Ken Jeong). Mr. Greene, the owner of the ironically named Greene Homes, is the film's sole character animated with any degree of creative flair, featuring rubber hose-style limbs.

The narrative takes a sharp turn as Norm finds himself in New York, where he is perceived as a person in a remarkably convincing bear costume. Mr. Greene, recognizing Norm's burgeoning viral popularity, plans to leverage this fame to push through his controversial development plans via an organization called the Polar Council, which apparently governs Arctic land use in the United States. This plot development leads Brayton to question the logic of the film's world, suggesting a disconnect between the intended message and the execution. The screenwriters, it seems, aimed to create a story about a polar bear confronting capitalism and defending his homeland, but deliberately sidestepped the issue of global climate change, opting for a convoluted workaround that leaves the audience bewildered.

The film's target audience also remains a point of confusion. Brayton speculates that it might appeal to undemanding children who can navigate the narrative's numerous dead ends. The plot becomes particularly tangled as Norm works for Greene, believing he is working against him, while simultaneously, the audience is seemingly encouraged to root for Vera Brightly to succeed in pushing through Greene's deal. Her motivation for this is to secure a recommendation letter for her daughter (Maya Kay) to attend a prestigious private school, a goal that directly conflicts with Norm's own quest to save his home.

Despite the narrative's shortcomings, the film does feature moments where some artistic effort is evident. Norm's signature "Arctic Shake" dance, performed to generic pop songs, sees director Trevor Wall employing dynamic camera work, including spinning shots and Dutch angles. While Brayton deems these sequences "insipid and bland," they are at least more visually engaging than much of the film. Another instance of potential artistry is a shot of Norm's fur rippling in the wind generated by a helicopter, a level of detail that stands in stark contrast to the uniformly marble-like human characters.

Ultimately, Norm of the North is characterized as a "vile" film, arbitrary and confusing in its plot, "unspeakably hideous" in its animation, and thematically incoherent. It is, without question, the worst theatrically-released animated feature of 2016, a distinction that was apparent even before the year began. However, recognizing its inevitable failure and forgiving it for it are two different matters. Norm of the North serves as an invaluable case study in the nadir of children's entertainment that still manages to achieve a degree of commercial viability, showcasing the worst aspects of what can be produced while still finding an audience.