Rent Mickey 17 on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Bong Joon Ho, Edward Ashton (based on the novel "Mickey 7" by)
Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Cameron Britton
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
During a human expedition to colonize space, Mickey 17, a so-called "expendable" employee, is sent to explore an ice planet.
Verdict
It's a unique and wild adventure that features clones, far-away planets, sleazy politicians, and unique species. It generates a range of emotions, but it can't hold the line until the end as it's unclear what this is about. It could be an action or sci-fi movie with satire that hints at something deeper, but that never quite materializes. The conclusion is forgettable, and we really needed something that ties this together at the end.
It depends.
Review
This throws you right into the middle with Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson) injured in a ravine. How did he end up there? The original Mickey didn't intend to become an expendable, but he's not one to make the best decisions. He gets a job as a human experiment that will die over and over again to aid in exploring a new planet. When he dies he will be reprinted with nearly no loss in memory due to consistent brain scanning. Through his suffering the future colony will figure out the pathogens and dangers on the planet. Mickey takes this really well despite the moral objections people on the ship should, but don't, have.
 |
| Robert Pattinson, Anamaria Vartolomei play Mickey 17, Kai |
The leader of the ship is failed politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo). He wants to start his own colony and subjugate or destroy the inhabitants on the target planet. This is part of the disconnect in the story. Marshall frequently seems like an imbecile with his wife feeding him lines. He seems to exist just so that the movie has a villain. Part of the irony is that Marshall assumes the species on the planet is stupid, possibly as stupid as he is.
What we thought were perfect clones turns out differently. Mickey 18 has a different voice and mannerisms. We assumed clones would be perfect representations. The problem is the rule that multiple clones are an abomination and not allowed. Pattinson does a great job of playing two distinct versions of himself.
 |
| Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie play Mickey 17, Mickey 18, Nasha |
The two Mickeys have to figure out how to hide and survive, though Mickey 18 has more of a temper and wants to kill Marshall. That leads to the big conflict. Mickey 17 might be low in the hierarchy, but he's the only one trying to broker peace between the planet and humans. Marshall embraces the peace deal just as a photo op, like a typical politician, before he eliminates any perceived threats.
This movie is a lot of madness and ideas. It asks interesting questions, but I thought the conclusion would find a way to link all of these ideas. I ended up being disappointed in how all the subplots resolve, or rather don't resolve. The conclusion seems like a quick way to end a movie rather than resolve the plot and tie the ideas together.
No comments :
Post a Comment