What if John Wick weren’t trained as an assassin but also couldn’t feel pain? Well, essentially, he’d be Jack Quaid’s Nathan Caine, the appealing protagonist of “Novocaine,” an action-comedy romp that has quite a bit of heart and punches a bit above its weight as it leaves a trail of blo od while staggering into theaters this week. You see, Nate has a rare genetic disorder, one that allowed his classmates in middle school to feel it was OK as they beat the tar out of him on the regular. That seemingly has made it difficult for him to make friends — his only real pal is fellow gamer Roscoe (Jacob Batalon), whom he’s never met in person but who, like Nate, lives in San Diego. The life of assistant bank manager Nate takes an apparent turn for the better when his work crush, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), spills scalding coffee on him and wants to make it up to him with a lunch out. (Understandably, she seems to doubt him when he insists he’s absolutely fine as he puts some lotion on the affected area.) At lunch, after awkwardly refusing a taste of her cherry pie and working on a milkshake, he comes clean to Sherry about his condition, explaining that he can’t eat solid foods out of fear he won’t know that he’s bitten into his tongue. However, she convinces him to have a bite, saying she is there in case anything goes wrong. He takes that bite. His mind is blown. Pie! Wow, PIE! And things only get better for him after she invites him to an art show where she will have a few pieces for sale. The next day, Christmas Eve, he’s on cloud nine — that is until a trio of armed Santas walk into the bank and demand to be let into the vault. When they threaten to hurt Sherry, Nate coughs up the entry code. The bad Santas take Sherry as a hostage, though, and use her as a human shield to get by the cops who’ve arrived on the scene. Nate, feeling he’s met the woman of his dreams, takes matters into his own hands by scooping up a gun and taking the squad car of an injured officer, who pleads with him to do neither of those things. Thus, Nate begins down a road that will lead not to pain but to plenty of wounds as he works a trail he hopes will lead to Sherry. Penned by Lars Jacobson (Peacock series “Fight Night”) and helmed by the directing tandem of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (“Villains,” “Significant Other”), “Novocaine” finds the right tone — it’s silly but not overly silly. Nate is far too close to coming across as indestructible at times — as with almost any action movie, the threat of a concussion is nonexistent, our hero taking savage blow after savage blow to the head — but he must have a bullet removed after being shot and becomes appropriately worried when a villain is poised to do unspeakable things to his eyes. (If you’re wondering, Nate’s condition — congenital insensitivity to pain, with analgesia — is, apparently, a rare but real disorder.) Quaid — one of the better aspects of the overrated Prime Video series “The Boys” and an absolute delight as the voice of try-hard Starfleet officer Brad Boimler on the recently completed Paramount+ animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks” — is the perfect actor for this role. Even while extraordinary in his way, Nate also is relatable as a man who’s lacked confidence all his life but is now determined to do whatever it takes to save the woman he loves. While Quaid is the son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, the man portraying lead villain Simon, Ray Nicholson (“Smile 2”), also has a rather famous father in Jack Nicholson. The younger Nicholson has a touch of his father’s electricity on the screen, so you can’t help but guess bigger things are ahead for him career-wise. More important to the winning formula of “Novocaine,” however, is Midthunder, who starred in 2022’s well-received straight-to-Hulu film “Prey,” an entry in the “Predator” franchise. As Sherry, she has strong chemistry with Nate and shows a different side to the character as the story evolves. Lastly, there’s Batalon (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”), who gets a few laughs as Roscoe after Nate drags him into the affair. Ultimately, “Novocaine” wins with violence and personality. It’s simply fun to hang out with Nate — who has an every-three-hours alarm to remind himself to use the restroom to guard against bladder damage and who takes a lickin’ but keeps on tickin’. Plus, “Novocaine” has the decency to end before the premise has worn too thin — with a conclusion that hits the right notes. It isn’t everything it could have been, but it’s a pain-free experience. ‘Novocaine’ 3 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence, grisly images, and language throughout) Running time: 1:50 How to watch: In theaters on Friday, March 14 Related Articles Movies & TV | Movie review: ‘In the Lost Lands’ an earnest eyesore Movies & TV | Movie review: ‘Mickey 17’ a signature sci-fi romp from director Bong Joon Ho Movies & TV | Movie review: In ‘Riff Raff,’ a misfit family reunion goes violently off the rails Movies & TV | Movie review: ‘The Accidental Getaway Driver’ a meditative take on kidnapping saga Movies & TV | Movie review: ‘The Monkey’ a gleefully gory fable about generational trauma ...read more read less