These days, there’s no shortage of movie adaptations of books and comics. Yes, we have the MCU and DCEU films, but there are plenty of other novels and comicbook stories turned into movies every year, even if you don’t realize it. But sometimes these supposed adaptations are that in name only and have very little to do with the source material. One really good example is World War Z – sure the movie is about a zombie outbreak, but the book doesn’t even have the same characters, setting or overall plot! 

This came to mind over the past weekend when I finally got around to watching Polar on Netflix. The movie is based on the graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold, itself a compilation of a web comic that was art only, no dialogue. It’s highly stylized, yet very violent – something that is well reflected in the movie. And the movie does follow the basics of the comic, with a hitman protagonist and a general survival of the fittest story.

But that’s where the similarities end. The movie takes the basics and fits them into the currently popular uber violent and bloody assassin plot where gunfire, knife play and torture are a constant. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the kind of movie I actually enjoy. But Polar doesn’t seem sure of what it wants to be, as it jumps from pulp action to smartass one liners to almost heartfelt drama. Oh, and the sex… a good dose of unexpected (and pretty much unnecessary) sex. All of this with a funky soundtrack (thanks to Deadmau5) and couture fashion.

So if you enjoyed the original web comic or graphic novel, don’t expect the same from the movie. You might like it anyway, but keep expectations low. With a few modifications, they could have changed the title and not claimed it as an adaptation, which probably would have been a better path to take.