Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Comic portrait of real-life musician/con artist has cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Polka King
What's the Story?
During the final decades of the 20th century, Jan Lewan (Jack Black) is THE POLKA KING, the consummate showman. In the Pennsylvania circuit through which he travels with his stalwart band, Jan is famous and beloved. He has a devoted fan base, a devoted wife, Marla (Jenny Slate), and a loyal best friend, Mickey (Jason Schwartzman). Jan is joyful and ambitious, and he sparkles with an innocent grin and a bounce in every step. He envisions a future "polka empire," and his mini-mall gift shop is only the beginning. To expand, he needs money, and one-state polka bands and gift shops aren't enough to get him to "the big time." When two elderly fans hear about his ambition, they ask to invest in his future "empire." At first reluctant, and then quickly aware of the endless possibilities, Jan is thrilled. Not only will their money help The Polka King, he'll help them as well. Twelve percent! That's what he'll pay in interest. He assures the throngs of senior fans who want in that everyone will be a winner. And they are winners -- every last one of them. At least until they aren't. The 12% gets harder and harder to pay out, given the lifestyle Jan is living. Then there's the fact that his empire doesn't seem to be expanding. And, most critically, Jan just can't bear to see his wife's dream of being Mrs. Pennsylvania be dashed, so he makes a devastating mistake. To the astonishment of everyone, including Jan, The Polka King's "innocent scheme" begins to fall apart and the meltdown begins.
Is It Any Good?
Jack Black, along with a bevy of other vanity-free performers, makes this satiric ode to an oddball scam artist both watchable and entertaining. True, the audience is laughing at, as well as with, the inherent shallowness and obliviousness of the central characters. And the film never deigns to consider the hardships that may have befallen the folks who were willing to fool themselves as easily as Jan Lewan fooled them. Still, The Polka King is one of those "stranger-than-fiction" true life tales that appeals to all of us who are sure we'd never fall for such a glaringly impossible scheme. Or would we? The production is solid; the polka music is, well, polka music, but the creative team is judicious with it, so it goes down easily. A silly, outlandish tale, only more appealing because it (mostly) really happened.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenge of making a comedy about a criminal who hurt others. In this case, the victims weren't blameless; they were greedy, but they were still exploited. Did you have sympathy for them? Why or why not? Would The Polka King have worked if it wasn't funny? How does Black's portrayal affect your response?
How did the actresses playing Marla Lewan and her mom, Barb, transcend the usual stereotypes of "ditzy wife" and "nagging mother-in-law" to make those characters unique? What's meant by the expression "vanity-free" performance?
What's meant by the statement "You can't cheat an honest man"? How does it relate to victims in The Polka King?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 12, 2018
- Cast : Jack Black , Jenny Slate , Jason Schwartzman , Jacki Weaver
- Directors : Maya Forbes , Wallace Wolodarsky
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate