Directed by:
Jonas ÅkerlundScreenplay:
Jayson RothwellCinematography:
Pär M. EkbergComposer:
Deadmau5Cast:
Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick, Ruby O. Fee, Matt Lucas, Robert Maillet, Josh Cruddas, Ayisha Issa, Richard Dreyfuss, Inga Cadranel (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
An assassin on the verge of retirement must put the good life on hold when his greedy boss sends a squad of young, ruthless killers to take him out. (Netflix)
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Reviews (6)
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.
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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.
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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%.
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I would never believe that one film by Jonas Akerlund will leave me completely ecstatic (Lords of Chaos) while another one of his will almost leave me with a rash. Even though the music is by Deadmau5 and it stars Mads Mikkelsen. Such attractions are hard to refuse. Unfortunately, the only thing worth watching is the opening scene with Johnny Knoxville, which would be more effective as a stand-alone short movie rather than an introduction to a feature one. This movie annoyed me from the very beginning to the very end.
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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.
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