Well, well, well. There is a movie in existence that I like Robert Pattinson. Don’t get me wrong. I like The Batman, but I find Pattinson to be a bit one note in it. In Mickey 17, he plays different versions of the same character. And does it well.
Mickey volunteers to leave Earth as an expendable to escape a loan shark without reading the fine print which states that he agrees to die repeatedly for science. With each reprint of his body and memories, he’s a bit different. Still himself, but different personality traits come forward.
What makes things interesting is when he is assumed dead but is saved by an indigenous life form on a new planet, he gets reprinted. And multiples are strictly forbidden for obvious ethical reasons.
I was never bored watching this. In fact, I enjoyed watching it play out. I just wish it had gone a little further with the ramifications of this type of science. And there are some seedy actions by characters that go without punishment. Like when Mickey’s partner cheats on him with his other multiple, 18. Not technically cheating since they were together each time he died, but when she found out 17 was alive, she didn’t seem all that happy to see him even though 18 was a bit meaner. She just wanted to have both, and while high no less. And his business partner who let him take the fall on Earth follows him to this new planet, but gets away with a lot of icky stuff before the end.
And then there’s my biggest question. Why didn’t the scientists bother to investigate the indigenous life to see if it was dangerous? They were smart enough to put Mickey through researching a vaccine for the virus in the planet’s atmosphere, but making sure the animals weren’t going to kill them before declaring they were expendable? Nope. But Mickey is expendable to them, less than human. So maybe that’s the point.
I suppose this goes along with the religious cult running things on the ship. Mark Ruffalo is the leader, and l’ve never disliked him more in a movie. It was so overacted, which is saying a lot because the character is meant to be over the top. Put his acting next to Toni Collette who is so believable as his wife and it just makes Ruffalo look so awful. I will say, though, that there are some parallels with these two characters to our current political climate. The over the top cult leader and his pretty wife with hateful viewpoints, and the man constantly whispering in their ears to sway their decision making. Sound familiar?
The special effects are okay but I wasn’t blown away by them. I will say this, though. The creatures they encounter on their new planet remind me of Ohm in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. So I’ll probably watch that again soon for it has much more to say about right and wrong in regards to human nature and science. Mickey 17 doesn’t quite get there for it wastes its time on moments meant to be funny but fall a little flat.
Three out of five stars. Watchable, but not memorable.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
Well, well, well. There is a movie in existence that I like Robert Pattinson. Don’t get me wrong. I like The Batman, but I find Pattinson to be a bit one note in it. In Mickey 17, he plays different versions of the same character. And does it well.
Mickey volunteers to leave Earth as an expendable to escape a loan shark without reading the fine print which states that he agrees to die repeatedly for science. With each reprint of his body and memories, he’s a bit different. Still himself, but different personality traits come forward.
What makes things interesting is when he is assumed dead but is saved by an indigenous life form on a new planet, he gets reprinted. And multiples are strictly forbidden for obvious ethical reasons.
I was never bored watching this. In fact, I enjoyed watching it play out. I just wish it had gone a little further with the ramifications of this type of science. And there are some seedy actions by characters that go without punishment. Like when Mickey’s partner cheats on him with his other multiple, 18. Not technically cheating since they were together each time he died, but when she found out 17 was alive, she didn’t seem all that happy to see him even though 18 was a bit meaner. She just wanted to have both, and while high no less. And his business partner who let him take the fall on Earth follows him to this new planet, but gets away with a lot of icky stuff before the end.
And then there’s my biggest question. Why didn’t the scientists bother to investigate the indigenous life to see if it was dangerous? They were smart enough to put Mickey through researching a vaccine for the virus in the planet’s atmosphere, but making sure the animals weren’t going to kill them before declaring they were expendable? Nope. But Mickey is expendable to them, less than human. So maybe that’s the point.
I suppose this goes along with the religious cult running things on the ship. Mark Ruffalo is the leader, and l’ve never disliked him more in a movie. It was so overacted, which is saying a lot because the character is meant to be over the top. Put his acting next to Toni Collette who is so believable as his wife and it just makes Ruffalo look so awful. I will say, though, that there are some parallels with these two characters to our current political climate. The over the top cult leader and his pretty wife with hateful viewpoints, and the man constantly whispering in their ears to sway their decision making. Sound familiar?
The special effects are okay but I wasn’t blown away by them. I will say this, though. The creatures they encounter on their new planet remind me of Ohm in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. So I’ll probably watch that again soon for it has much more to say about right and wrong in regards to human nature and science. Mickey 17 doesn’t quite get there for it wastes its time on moments meant to be funny but fall a little flat.
Three out of five stars. Watchable, but not memorable.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
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