Ryan Shoots First: Polar
Polar is the best in a long line of stylish over the top assassin films. In the same realm of Lucky Number Slevin and others, the quick cuts, odd camera angles and over the top gimmicks for every assassin put Polar right in the mix. If you have been checking out the new SyFy series Deadly Class (you can read our review of the pilot here) this film almost feels like it could be the students from that show all grown up. The big factor that pushes everything up a notch is the lead actor Mads Mikkelsen’s who plays the Black Kaiser. Mads as usual brings a sense of gravitas and legitimacy to every role he plays. He is the consummate professional and the way the movie and the colors change when we are with him. How he is less colorful and over the top then the younger Assassins in the company Damocles is a stark contrast and I like that the movie goes out of its way to get that over. There are some similarities to John Wick and the movie knows it and even goes so far as to have a dog scene that doesn’t quite go how you would expect.
The films plot revolves around Mads character retiring at the mandatory age of 50. The issue is he stands to make 8 million dollars in his retirement. With Damecleus looking to sell the company they need to move some of this debt off the books and the easiest way to do that is for retired assassins to suddenly die. The issue is Mads is the cagey old vet and he is not to be messed with. Seeing Mads play one step ahead of the younger batch of assassins is a joy and he plays it so casually, the way he swaps out a SIM card not just after every phone call but every 30 seconds or so becomes so delightfully mundane. He eventually comes across his neighbor across the lake Camille played by Vanessa Hudgens and they forge a friendship where he must look after her. The only thing more dangerous than a vet assassin with his back against the wall is one who also has something to protect.
The action is pretty brutal with Mads and company using all sorts of weaponry and cutlery to off their targets or adversaries. There is no shortage of creativity used in all of the deaths in the film. The first scene when the crew encounters Mads encounters the crew is pretty brutal and leads to Mads getting a wicked eye patch that makes him look like Big Boss himself to any Metal Gear Solid fans out there. Now I’m just thinking about how awesome Mads would be as Solid Snake/Big Boss in a MGS movie. In fact it’s a cool transition that before he runs into the assassins I mentioned how everything aesthetic wise was different, the colors and themes and Mads was not gimmicky as the other assassins. But after he encounters them everything changes. He gets his look and takes on more character. It’s as if he has now literally been pulled into their world and is playing their game now. The end sequence is action packed and a thrill as the Black Kaiser has really been put through the ringer at this point and the best line of the movie is delivered by an extra “excuse me sir”. The movie is also set up for a sequel I really hope we get after twist at the end.
Polar isn’t perfect, the acting outside the main two is weak and the script isn’t much but what it lacks it makes up for in style and action. Add a great performance from Mads and Hudgens and that makes Polar a must watch for any action fans out there. Heck it even has the mandatory awesome Netflix hallway scene. Just remember to be nice to the elderly, because really you never know what life they lived before they got old.