Polar

Up until today, Mads Mikkelsen had been a safe bet for me, but it seems like nothing can be taken for granted these days. I mean, not to say anything bad about my favorite Danish actor, his performance wasn’t disappointing, but the writing didn’t really give him much to work with. The filmmakers obviously wanted the film to be incredibly cool, but most of the time it just seemed pathetic (most of the action scenes were unintentionally hilarious). Katheryn Winnick, who would have managed to beat the whole A Team single-handedly thanks to her abilities, was just picking up the phone here, and the ending wasn't exactly great either. (07/09/2021)

On paper, it probably looked better than it turned out to be. The initial trailer got me incredibly excited; I always welcome a film similar to John Wick and other action-packed movies with enthusiasm, but after watching it, I can say that there was mild disappointment on my part. The comic book style suited me just fine; I had no problem with that. What annoyed me were the villains, who lacked better character development; essentially, it was carried by Mads Mikkelsen. He clearly enjoyed his role, which was perfectly tailored for him. The chemistry between him and Vanessa Hudgens' character surprisingly worked well, thanks to a well-written script for these two actors. As for the main antagonist, there were moments when he overacted so much that it became painful to watch. In terms of action, there’s not much to criticize; the sequence in the wooden cabin was probably the most enjoyable, with plenty of blood—there was no skimping on that. The ending left the door open for a possible sequel. With a bit more polishing of the story and Mikkelsen continuing as Black Kaiser, it could become a hit. As it stands, it's just a successful above-average B-movie, nothing more. I give it 66%. (02/07/2019)

Badass. It does not deny its comic book origins, the stylization is pleasant but not overblown and it didn't get old by the end of the film. I also wasn’t bothered by all the constant killing because it never became routine and there was still something interesting and imaginative going on... For example, the disposal of the main villain. Black humor is mixed with a more serious probe into the soul of an almost pensioned cleaner, but it blends naturally and it's not awkward for even a moment - mainly thanks to the fantastic Mads Mikkelsen. Polar probably won't avoid a comparison to John Wick, but I was much more reminded of classic action films with contradictory main characters, in which Charles Bronson played, and which also definitely weren't just boring shooters.___P.S. I didn't recognize Vanessa Hudgens until the end credits. (01/25/2019)

Right at the b eginning of the year, Netflix pulls off an excellent action caper in the style of John Wick, though mostly it's closer to Japanese madness. Mads Mikkelsen as a retired veteran and the world's best assassin is absolutely brilliant. He would love to retire already, but his former employer now considers him a liability and wants to remove him, so he sends an A-team of crazy assassins to take him out. Mads, however, is always one step ahead of the game and takes no shit from anyone. Brilliantly staged, extravagantly styled, properly action packed, incredibly gory, and packed with sex appeal. This is how I imagine a Hitman movie should be made. An impressive audiovisual B-movie ride that will please fans of raunchy, kinky sex, uncompromising anti-heroes and a dose of gritty adrenaline action. The twist at the end is decent and bring in a sequel already. 80% satisfaction. (01/28/2019)

A funny intro with Knoxville, an emotional level with a girl-protégé that works and a very fast, halfbaked final reckoning with the bad guys. Polar is a silly pulp movie with too many unnecessary deaths of innocents that are supposed to be funny and bad guys that are supposed to be cool. And the charismatic actor Mikkelsen, who doesn’t fit into this insanity at all, but paradoxically is the only thing that makes it kind of watchable. (02/07/2019)