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Throughout the years, Donnie Yen has played a variety of characters who faced a myriad of challenges and in Polar Rescue, the greatest one is when a loved one disappears. The physical and emotional response is tough, and he definitely goes through the motions and that alone makes watching this movie worth the look.
In this film originally titled Come Back Home, his youngest child is lost somewhere in the wilderness. It’s winter time, and to visit a Tein Lake without a ride is impossible. Also, the parents are having a tough go at dealing with this kid. He’s quite demanding and when De (Yen) disciplines this tyke for a few minutes by locking him in a cabin, the kid decides to sneak out the back window. And when the folks realise he’s gone, they better do everything they can to find him.
When we’re dealing with a threat that is man versus nature alongside versus himself, Lele (Yuan Jinhui) better be found as fast as possible! What keeps the movie moving along is in how Yen takes on the guilt of questioning if he did the right thing. And as for how he’ll react when his boy is found is to be expected. The red herrings tossed into this film’s progress helped keep me curious if the boy will be found or not. I have my suspicions, but alas….
Yen does a reasonable enough job at playing a man at the end of his ropes. Things aren’t kosher between De and Xuan (Cecilia Han) either. And perhaps just why the child is running away is to show to his parents that he wants them both together than distance themselves further apart. Unfortunately, he’s not that smart, as he’s quite the rascal. But between that backstory and trying to keep things going forward, Nature fights back like it’s meant to hide those uncomfortable truths. Search and rescue have to back off due to just how bad the weather is getting, and it’s up to smaller teams to continue, and De is adamant to continue. And by the time they find another clue, there’s a sense of hope.
It’s a foregone conclusion that a happy ending is expected, and I’m glad it doesn’t navigate entirely into that direction. Unless some sacrifice is made, a movie can’t be a movie, and everything coming up next is very predictable. I’d be curious to see what scars exist because of what did for him. And if any of that will resonate when he’s now an adult and has to protect his child, only time will tell if another narrative can be developed.
The emotional hammer can’t hit home until we see a part two where this boy has to deal with his own guilt. As for whether that’d happen, it’s not likely. This film feels like a one off to show off the fact Yen can do more than just fight on the big screen.
3 Stars out of 5
Polar Rescue Movie Trailer
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