The Polka King (2017)

I was not sure what to expect before watching this movie.  I initially scoffed and rolled my eyes when I first watched the trailer.  It looked goofy, but it also looked like Jack Black could pull off his polish character.  He can be funny when he wants to be.

The Polka King is based on a true story that details the rise and fall of Polka God, Jan Lewan.  He was a big polka star before he became a criminal.

The movie was written and directed by Maya Forbes and the noteworthy cast includes Jack Black, Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, J.B. Smoove, Jacki Weaver, Willie Garson, Vanessa Bayer, and Kati Salowsky

Unless you are a Polka Enthusiast, here is a true story that I am sure not very many people are aware of.  I know that I wasn’t.

This movie makes fun of itself and that is what I liked about it.  Jack Black’s botched Polish accent and awful haircut makes his character hilarious.  It quickly reminds you not to take it too seriously and just enjoy it for what it is.

Schwartzman and Smoove are both entertaining supporting characters in the film.

The movie was good, but not great.  It is one of the more entertaining Netflix Original movies.  Often, the Netflix Original TV shows are big cable network like quality, while Netflix Original movies have mostly fallen short.  Little, by little Netflix Original movies are improving and The Polka King is an example of that.

I used to wonder how Netflix could turn a profit with as much money as they spend on their original content.  As it turns out, they are billions of dollars in the hole.  They have seemed to follow the path of Walmart and Amazon.  They have operated at a loss for years with a plan to recoup the money overtime.  With all of the streaming competition, Netflix plans to have at least 50% original content within a few years.  That way, if you want to watch their shows, you will have to pay for it because you will not find them anywhere else.

The Polka King is a smart, yet very stupid comedy that you do not have to take too seriously.  The movie is just fun.  It is one of the best Netflix Original movies, though that is not saying much, at least at this point in time.

I rate this movie a 6 on a scale of 1-10.

If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:

High Fidelity (2000)

Bernie (2011)

Naked (2017)

Envy (2004)

Borat: The Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

The Big Year (2011)

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)