Polar Review: 3 Ups & 6 Downs
Ups...
3. Mads Mikkelsen's Solid Performance
A bad movie though Polar is, you have to at least hand it to Mads Mikkelsen: the guy commits to his part like his life depends on it, as per usual.
He's so far above the material that it hurts, but he admirably doesn't look down on it and therefore accounts for most of the film's entertainment value.
His deadpan performance helps balance out the excess silliness, even if he occasionally disappears from the movie for a suspicious amount of time while Åkerlund works through a number of subplots.
Still, Mikkelsen's enthusiasm is felt no better than in a ridiculous sequence where an attempt is made on Vizla's life mid-coitus, and he exacts bloody revenge while still kitted out in his birthday suit.
Without Mikkelsen's fine work in the lead role, it's troubling to consider how even worse Polar could've turned out.