Polar (2019, Netflix) ***

The main thing I learned from “Polar” is that if you can get Mads Mikkelsen in your movie, do it. This film would be almost un-watchable if Mikkelsen weren't so good at playing a bad-ass killer. He turns “Polar” into some truly fun trash.

Mikkelsen plays assassin Duncan Vizla, known in the underworld as the “Black Kaiser.” He's an aging bad-ass looking forward to his 50^th birthday and an $8 million pension payment. The problem is that his employer, a pale, chubby psychopath named Blut (Matt Lucas), would rather keep the money for himself. He has decided to deal with his pension obligations by killing off all his retired and retiring assassins. Duncan finds himself hunted by a young team of killers. They are less talented than Duncan, but he has a weak spot in the form of a young woman (Vanessa Hudgeons) he meets in his chilly, Montana hideout.

To judge “Polar” by conventional standards probably misses the point. The story started out in 2012 as a “silent” (no words) webcomic by Spanish artist Victor Santos. The stark, gory webcomic was eventually turned into a graphic novel by Dark Horse Comics, this time with dialogue. When it came time for a live-action film, Netflix bought the rights, and released it straight-to-streaming. From beginning to end, this is niche material.

The film has met with almost universal critical disgust, and I can see why. With its mustache-twirly villains and comic-book styling, the film is bound to confuse the casual action-movie fan, and the story and characters are not strong enough to overcome the oddness, the way a movie like “Pulp Fiction” did. The story is designed for an early-teen audience weaned on manga graphic novels, but the movie is not really appropriate for them. (“Polar” is unrated, but would clearly earn a hard R.) The film is constantly gory, with brutal violence. There's an extended torture sequence that is gratuitous, graphic, and hard to watch. On the other hand, there's an extended sex sequence with Costa Rican actress Ruby O. Fee that is also gratuitous and graphic, and very easy to watch. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.

In other words, “Polar” is what it is, and I actually enjoyed it. It's a revenge-graphic-novel movie with nonstop action, hot babes, and bad dudes, along the lines of 2005's “Sin City.” If you liked that one, you'll probably like “Polar.”

3 stars out of 5