Assassins With A Pension Plan?

“Polar” is a new Netflix film based on a comic series from Dark Horse Comics and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, and Matt Lucas.  It’s directed by Jonas Akerlund from a script by Jayson Rothwell.

Mikkelsen plays an assassin who is part of some organization who compel him to retire when he turns 50 years old.  The organization has promised to pay some exorbitant pension for his loyal and lethal services, except the top guy, played by Matt Lucas, doesn’t want to pay and has a squad of younger executioners take out the soon to be pensioners.

Back to Mikkelsen, who plays a hitman nicknamed the Black Kaiser. I’m not sure why, but that’s what he’s called.  His name is actually Duncan Vizla, which is what I’ll go with for the purposes of this brief review.

Anyway, Vizla retires to some lakeside cabin the middle of winter, meets a shy woman across the way, shares his unique knowledge of world travels with some schoolkids, and then calls on his deadly instincts to fight off the group of killer who have finally found him.

The action sequences were pretty well executed, but the premise is quite absurd.  Mikkelsen kind of has a pretty compelling role, but he is the typical stoic, world-weary anti-hero.

Matt Lucas is a bit too flamboyant and comical as Mr. Blut to be considered that menacing.  The more I think about it, the more ridiculous I think it would be to buy into a group of hardened killers respecting this clown, no matter how sadistic and wealthy he is depicted.

The sex and blood flows gratuitously throughout the movie.  I know that sounds so inelegant, but it’s an inelegant movie.

All is not lost though. There is an interesting twist in the relationship between Duncan and Hudgens’ character that is revealed in some last minute unveiling that sort of leave it open for a sequel.

There is some enjoyment to be found in this piece with a massive suspension of disbelief and the remembering that it is based on a comic book. It’s just probably not something I am going to revisit very much, although I may check out a sequel if it comes about.