The Netflix drone flies over a kind of forest with mountains in the background. An overprinted says that we are somewhere in Chile, where in a mansion, a group of murderers just leaving adolescence sneak up on a man who sunbathes, and merca and champagne, accompanied by a young lady. The man entered in years is played by Johnny Knoxville (?) Who does not reach the presentation credits without being turned into a target of shooting range.
Thus begins this nonsense called Polar.
Mads Mikkelsen is Duncan Vizla, or "the black kaiser", a murderer who belongs only for a few more weeks to the organization "Damocles". From Vivian (the wasted Katheryn Winnick of Vikings) receives her last assignment before retirement. A Mexican who, according to Damocles, has been killing his assets, including Johnny Knoxville. It is found in Belarus. Vizla doubts the order and before doing anything he checks his accounts and finances and makes a withdrawal to his lost house in the middle of the cold Montana, where he meets his neighbor Camille (Vanessa Hudgens).
The plot quickly becomes what we have seen so many times that it deserves to be a subgenre in itself. The murderer persecuted by his own organization that gives us many chances to see Mads in a machine to burn faceless soldiers and multiethnic teenagers who could have had some kind of plot development.
The film, based on a webcomic (and then comic), accuses numerous tone problems that are easy to assume that have to do with its European director and crew but also in the fact that the comic pays tribute to a certain cinema and refers to some sleeves The pastiche of influences goes wrong because Mads Mikkelsen, who is a great actor, is playing Le Samouraï, the director (Jonas Akerlund) is doing one of Guy Ritchie, the mountaineer is making one of Danny Boyle, and the photograph, soundtrack and the rest of the actors do not have the slightest idea of what the general tone is. Is it "funny"? Is it gloomy Is it an action with subtext? Impossible to determine in the general quilombo. It doesn't help that while Mads acts with his usual subtlety, the villains are very over-the-top, exaggerating the role (I don't say it's the actors' fault).
The movie lasts twenty minutes longer than it should, has a long gore scene of torture that shouldn't be, a Duncan sex scene with a murderer that could have been avoided, and a twist plot that is taken out of the ass and should Having had much more prolegomena.
Even so it manages to entertain without too much pretense if they are looking for an action to "John Wick" or any of the Bourne saga. Mads Mikkelsen manages to carry out this without much effort (mental at least), and rounding up a decent but uneven performance with respect to the rest.
If they have a couple of hours and want a banal fun, they lose nothing.
For the subsequent debate, it will remain why Netflix allocates so many funds to produce garompas like this when directors like Cuarón showed that they can do great things with a similar budget. It is understood that not all films can be Rome or Mudbound or the next Irish. The opposite is not understood. The "Polar", "The Kissing Booth" abound and dozens more that we have reviewed (or hate reviewed) on this website. It's hard to win by betting on horses. But the chance grows if you bet on winning horses. Cuarón, Scorsese, the Coen are strong, necessary and, often, winning bets. Stop throwing flowers at pigs.