Nate has a rare condition which makes him unable to feel pain. As a result he avoids solid food and must chill warm foods and takes precautions such as using tennis balls on surface edges and having an extensive knowledge of medical procedures.
Nate had a sheltered life as his parents feared injury for him and this caused his classmates to abuse him and give him the name Novocaine.
When a violent bank robbery ends with carnage and Sherry being taken as a hostage; Nate jumps from his withdrawn lifestyle to try to save a girl he has only spent one evening with and on a course of action that causes him to confront some very violent and dangerous individuals.
With the authorities hot on his heels; Nate endures significant abuse, damage, and trauma in his efforts to save the girl of his dreams.
Quaid is great in the role of an everyman who is elevated to a situation he is not prepared for and uses humor to deflect the increasingly dangerous situation he is in and the escalating number of threats and damage he encounters in the process.
While the violence is over-the-top and at times gruesome; the humor and performances of the film really make what could be a parody of the genre work and this results in a fun and entertaining variation on the usual action tropes and makes “Novocaine” a fun adventure and hopefully the first of future adventures for Nate.
3.5 stars out of 5
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