MATURE CONTENT? Netflix's Rating: TV-14 Why?: Language and sexual content
SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
In this biographical comedy flick, Jack Black plays the role of real-life polka band singer and ponzi scheme artist, Jan Lewan. Based on the documentary, The Man Who Would Be Polka King.
Jan, an immigrant from Poland, is a go-lucky guy who caught the American dream and is determined to work his way up to becoming a big-shot polka singer. With his supporting, former beauty queen wife, played by Jenny Slate, Jan scrambles under constant financial pressure. That is, until an elderly couple from his small fan-base offer a large check as an investment in his band.
More and more investments trickle in, and at first Jan is innocently naive, not knowing his investment system is illegal or called a Ponzi scheme. But once he is informed of the reality of his system and the legal consequences, he’s already in too deep, and must continue the system to keep his band and family afloat.
CRITICAL REVIEW
For a Jack Black movie, the jokes are a bit stretched thin, but overall the comedy is satisfying and pleasant to watch. Black is, of course, goofy, and his accent is always quite on point (sometimes it sounds much too similar to his Nacho Libre Mexican accent). But he plays Jan’s conflicting, complicated character well, drawing some sympathy from viewers despite his blatant lawlessness.
If hadn’t known beforehand the film was biographical, I would have watched it without the thought ever coming to mind that it could have been based on real life events. The story is quite fantastical and improbable, and therefore definitely a great pick for a film storyline.
If I had to describe the film in one word, that word would be “quirky.” From odd character actions to out-of-nowhere plot turns, there’s a pleasant element of unexpectedness to The Polka King. And the film brings up complex moral questions, such as Jan’s point of view when he says he’ll do something that he has no known way of making it happen. His retort when he is accused of lying is that when he promises someone that he’ll make something happen, that promise is engrained in him and it drives him to finding a way to make it happen. Plus, the costuming is vivid and interesting in its own quirky, unique way.
If you love Jack Black, definitely watch this film at least once. Even if you don’t I’d say give it a try — it’s not quite Black’s usual type of comedy.
WHAT MORMONS/PARENTS NEED TO KNOW
Other than a couple instances of language, this film is a mild TV-14. Everyone's got a pretty clean mouth, and no one really talks explicitly about sex.
There is one scene depicting a younger man cheating on his wife with an older woman — they're in a hotel room together, and it's implied they'll have sex eventually, but nothing really happens other than him rubbing her feet on the bed.
As for positive messages ... that's a toughie. Because though Black's main character has some positive qualities, those are mixed in with his blatant lawlessness. There's also no shining messages or examples of family or integrity.