Polar

This isn't high art, it's certainly not Oscar bait or even trying to be tongue in cheek...this is a blatantly bloody and violent thrill ride with little exposition and a single purpose: gratuitous violence with no deeper meaning.

If you watch this for any other reason, be prepared for copious disappointment. No nuance or subtlety, just a murder ballet for the masses.

I predict that as is the current trend, that the audience will love/like it while the critics lambast it...shows the growing irrelevance of the professional critic as their disconnect with the audience grows.

First of all, the film shouldn't be a movie you'll definitely take seriously. Please leave your brain if you decide to watch this movie. Because this film is a crunchy film that focuses entirely on the action and the charm of ferocity. So there is no deeper meaning nor a deep scenario.

The visuals are great, the color palette is so good that even the nature looks modern. It looks like an Instagram filter has been applied to a picture taken with a proper camera. The girls are beautiful, the main character is charismatic, the bad character is a fat asshole. There are plenty of clichés. You can predict what's going to happen. Predicting what will happen is a problem in such films because it eliminates the thriller factor.

You don't have to pay much attention to, it's a fun movie. If you love action you can watch. 7/10

A good action movie is like a classic meat-and-potatoes meal; standard fare that although might be seasoned differently is both filling and unsurprising. Occasionally a genre-breaking film will surprise everyone and pop open a bottle of Malbec to serve with a little filet mignon. Usually? The plot, situation, even the action itself, is as recycled as a hot dog washed down with a Coors Light. Forgettable. Ordinary. Monotonous. Then there is Polar.

The film is Irish-carbomb crazy; chopped meat that's charbroiled yet still pink-on-the-inside, along with plenty of extra cheese.

The film's plot is insanely generic. Older hitman seeks retirement but his boss won't let him go. In fact, said boss, a maniacal Matt Lucas who was given free reign of Elton John's wardrobe circa 1987, would much rather see Duncan (Mads Mikklesen) dead than pay him his owed bank. A squad of diverse goons head out in hopes of retiring Duncan in cleverly ridiculous ways only to discover - shock - that old Duncan is more wily than initially estimated. Silliness ensues.

The slick camera-work and kinetic editing is an over-the-top, ADD-infused assault. Think Tony Scott helming John Wick. Adapted from a Dark Horse graphic novel and directed by Jonas Åkerlund, Polar looks like a full-length Rammstein music video, albeit scored by Deadmau5, and comes complete with Instagram-worthy title cards.

The film is soaked with annoying characters, absurd situations (Richard Dreyfuss on karaoke, anyone?), and a devilish weapon-fetish. Duncan, however, hi-jacks the film with his heart of plated gold, a desire for a pet, and the smooth handling of an axe.

Every plot point was slashed to bits with a dull sword. Betrayals were telegraphed as subtlety as a missile strike. And the ending was as secure as an A-Team mission. Through all that, Polar is deep-fried fun that makes an otherwise-forgettable Tuesday night slightly more memorable.

If only there were an explanation of the film's title...

The only exceptional thing about this film is Mads Mikkelsen, who is always worth watching. Otherwise, the film is mediocre, predictable, schmaltzy in parts, your typical beat-em-up shoot-em-up extravaganza, complete w/closeups of wounds and dead people. Too much money was spent for a mediocre movie. Surely Mikkelsen doesn't need the money this much, does he? He can afford to be more discriminating.

I really didn't expect to like this with a 6.5 critic rating.

However, within a few minutes of watching, I found myself chuckling at the odd and playful style they took with the film, somewhat reminding me of a videogame.

It's enjoyable and I think worth a watch and a decent action film.