MOVIE REVIEW: NORM OF THE NORTH (2016)

Rob Schneider films always require a degree of healthy skepticism. The man doesn’t have many good movies to his credit, and most of the ones that are good aren’t starring vehicles for him. In fact, these days, his political views attract him more fans than the quality of his work. Ten years ago, he was the leading voice actor in this paper-thin and irritating movie.

Norm is a polar bear with the unique ability understand and speak English. While this makes him an outcast among his friends, he has a chance to save the arctic from developers seeking to build luxury condos in the heart of the North. After stowing away on a ship bound for New York City, Norm pretends to be an actor in a polar bear suit and lands the role as the developers’ mascot. His plan to turn the tables and convince the developers and the general public against arctic development is thwarted, but one of the developers’ employees and her genius daughter hatch a plan to help Norm stop them once and for all.

The animation in this film is inconsistent. While plenty of the environment animation looks good, the animals are hit or miss (even derivative of other similar animals in other computer-animated movies). The worst has to be the animated people. There’s not enough texture or shadow on them. It’s not off-putting, but it is noticeable in a bad way. There are also times where objects don’t look right with how they interact with the environment around them. Making sure all objects convincingly share the same space is a critical part of these kinds of films.

The story itself is thin. Pro-environment and anti-development may be the causes that drive the characters, but the film fails to walk the tightrope well. At times it strays too far into being cute and kid-friendly, while at other times, characters drone on about protecting the arctic habitat too long and in ways that don’t get beyond the most superficial of concerns. Having read about the arctic environs, I can tell you that it doesn’t need saving from developers- it’s a harsh region where most rich people wouldn’t want to live anyway. For that reason, it’s almost okay for Norm of the North to avoid being a message film, but it is problematic that it only uses an environmental message as a façade for cheap, uninspired entertainment.

There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes than watching Norm of the North, but with so many better options than this lazy fusion of Happy Feet and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, why bother? It will occupy the attention of the youngest set for sure, but adults will find it testing their patience. There are better looking, better made, and better written movies to choose from, and I suggest that you do so.

FINAL RATING: 1.25 OUT OF 5