We may only be in the early start of January, but Netflix is looking to kick 2019 off with a bang. Literally. After ending last year with the dual threat of Bird Box and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the streaming giant is turning their attention to an action film to warm your blood. Specifically, an action film based off a graphic novel. Or at least that’s the sense gathered from this loud and in-your-face trailer for the upcoming Polar.
Now, that doesn’t look half bad. If it sounds at all like I’m not 100% sold, it’s merely because trailers like this are sometimes confusing. Not so much in their content, but the context of said content. Which is to say, things are all over the place and will be a mess or utterly amazing. There’s elements on display here that bring to mind John Wick, The Professional and Smokin Aces. How much that speaks to you, will ultimately decide if you check this one out. I remain straddling the line, if only because of the CGI bullet moment. So many questions as to what how this film shakes out.
As always, we have an official synopsis to clue you in on the plot:
“The world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla, aka The Black Kaiser, is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced.”
What makes Polar rather interesting, is it feels like a throwback to DTV films of the late 90’s and early 00’s. Don’t take that as a negative per se, as there were plenty of diamonds in the rough there. Plenty of which followed the “assassin outrunning other assassins” trope. It also helps that director Jonas Akerlund (Lords of Chaos*) has Mads Mikkelsen in his corner. Brandishing an eye-patch, no less. Mikkelsen brings a fiery intensity to any project he tackles, so at the very least, he’ll likely be great here. He’s not the only familiar face though, as Venessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick and Matt Lucas make appearances. Not to mention both Johnny Knoxville and Richard Dreyfuss are involved as well.
What do you think of the trailer? Does it appear to be right up your alley? Are you turned off by over-produced action quickies? Or does this make you wish John Wick: Chapter 3 was coming out tomorrow? Sound off in the comments and make sure to check out Polar, when it hits Netflix on January 25. Till then, here’s a snazzy poster to ogle.
*You may have seen that the Lords of Chaos trailer popped up on the site this past weekend, as it’s a part of Panic Fest. Meaning some attendees can get a double dose (one at home, one in theaters) of Akerlund’s work in the same weekend!
