Review: ‘Mickey 17’ is a big budget sci-fi with the heart of a B-movie
‘Mickey 17’ is the bizarre tale of a man who joins a space mission only to repeatedly die, and be resurrected over and over again.
Science fiction has long speculated what long-distance space travel may look like. People have spent years in a cryogenic chamber, sleeping through decades of travel. Or they use their journey preparing for settlement, even though they don’t really know what they may encounter on the alien planet. Yet, colonizing other planets remains one of mankind’s goals, particularly as Earth is pushed to the brink of habitability. Another popular subtopic within this subject is cloning since peopling an entire planet naturally, especially with the many threats of such an endeavour, is a tall order. Thus, in Mickey 17, clones are used for the most dangerous jobs and regenerated as many times as necessary.
Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) and his shady business partner, Timo (Steven Yeun), need to get off world fast, but Mickey has no skills that would recommend him for the latest expedition to Niflheim, an ice planet selected for settlement by failed politician, Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette). So, without reading the details, Mickey signs up for the one job no one else wants: Expendable. In short, they make a copy of Mickey’s entire genetic makeup and his memories, then use him for experimentation or send him on dangerous missions, and reprint him from recycled biomaterials when he inevitably dies. However, when one of the Mickeys unexpectedly survives and another is printed, his girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie), must try to conceal their existence since multiples are illegal.
This is an unconventional picture, but it is still a crowd pleaser. Mickey is a little goofy, but likeable, giving Pattinson the opportunity to explore personality traits audiences haven’t seen him play on screen before. Academy award winning writer-director Bong Joon Ho’s adaptation of the novel, Mickey 7, is funny and a little ridiculous, as Mickey takes his new career as a human crash test dummy in stride and simply accepts the path he’s accidentally chosen. Almost more interesting is Nasha’s acceptance of Mickey’s job, which means she’s constantly sharing intimate moments with a new version of him. Of course, the only thing anyone ever wants to ask Mickey is the age old question, “What does it feel like to die?”
Remarkably, Kenneth and Ylfa are the most outlandish film characters. It’s not surprising he didn’t succeed as a politician since he’s noticeably insecure and requires constant reassurance or verbal support from Ylfa whenever he speaks publicly. It’s clear she’s the catalyst behind his failed aspirations and this expedition is their attempt to regain power. However, her own obsession lies in creating delectable sauces in spite of their limited pantry, causing her to seek untraditional ingredients for her recipes. Ruffalo’s and Collette’s contributions to the picture frequently border on B-movie shlock, but in the best possible way.
It’s really a matter of when rather than if they will encounter a native species on Niflheim, since it’s the key basis of conflict in space exploration. It’s difficult to know what to make of the bizarre creatures that are kind of bug-like, but also look like a butt. Though they do play an integral part in the narrative and garner more sympathy than some of the human characters. By the end of the film, all the disagreements converge into one giant quarrel in which everyone is trying to call everyone else’s bluff and the least stable personalities have itchy trigger fingers.
Overall, this is a very unusual film with a very clear vision that’s executed with darkly humorous precision. Everyone involved is committed to telling this fantastic story and it’s a testament to their talents that it works so well.
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette