Polar (2019)

Written by r96sk on October 21, 2023

This is something... I think I might've enjoyed it, marginally.

I'm not entirely sure how, to be honest. For the most part I was pretty nonplussed by 'Polar', though by the conclusion it kinda grew on me if I'm to be truthful. I kinda seperate the film into two parts, the bits with Mads Mikkelsen & Vanessa Hudgens and the bits without Mads Mikkelsen & Vanessa Hudgens. It's like chalk and cheese, really.

Mikkelsen and Hudgens are certainly pros and, by the end, an almost endearing duo. Any scene involving them fluctuates from decent to good, nothing more admittedly but positive stuff from those two still. Aside from them, I do like how the film commits to its gory kills and somewhat gratuitous sexual content. It works, just about.

What doesn't work, however, is those other characters that appear onscreen. Matt Lucas is hit-and-miss but probably just about passable, though every member of the supposedly specialist hit squad just didn't work for me. Ruby O. Fee, Fei Ren and others try but as a group they just didn't give off any badass or fun to watch aura... almost cringe, in fact.

It is far, far adrift of being a great film or even one I'd recommend with all my heart. However, it entertains... just. I'd be up for seeing Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens together again in this set-up, which is reportedly something that'll happen soon as it seems they are remaking this 2019 flick already... with similar people behind it. How intriguing.