Mickey 17
I really did want to be very sparing with the use of my special tags, particularly the “Avoid” one but then along comes Mickey 17 and seldom has something deserved it more! There is almost nothing about this movie that I like, and it suffers badly in comparison with book.
In Edward Ashton’s original novel we start from the premise that it is possible to reprint a person and asks how that technology might be used. Fair enough it is intensely divisive on crowded Earth but on a distant planet where the cost of sending out a replacement for someone is literally astronomical then it could be useful. It is not a pleasant process so only volunteers accept the role.
Given that we then have a fairly straightforward adventure story – A small team trying to terraform an icy planet. There are typical team tensions – friendships, rivalry, an obviously over-promoted team chief and lots of witty banter back and forth. Mickey the expendable is indeed “expendable” but never frivolously – he is a genuine, well-liked member of the team, who, through no fault of his own ends up as a multiple.
As the colony is threatened by indigenous life forms Mickey and his colleagues work against the wishes of the chief to find a non-violent solution.
The film takes the initial premise and the alien threat and throws out everything else. Instead of genuine camaraderie and funny lines we get empty sex and bickering. Instead of an adventure story we get parody so heavy handed it is like being repeatedly pounded by a rubber mallet with the words “This is a parody” embossed in the head. There’s barely a hint of subtlety or nuance, nothing to frame the parody which is right in your face all the time and isn’t even funny.
Crew members are cruel to Mickey, but this isn’t unusual, they are mean to each other all the time as well. No one has any personality or character development, everyone is a caricature. The only “subtle” moment allows the director to pull his parodic punches – when Marshall talks about settling this “White” planet does he mean racially or because it is covered in ice? Ooo, marvel at the innuendo…
The only thing I did like were the Creepers, and they were the only beings I had any sympathy for. The combination of CGI and physical effects gave them a real solidity and physicality and did an excellent job of making a truly alien creature look appealing.
I can see ratings for this film falling into two clear camps – those that haven’t read the book and like Robert Pattinson might well enjoy it. There’s plenty of him in shot, often only partly clothed and I can understand the appeal. That same group might well like the parody and think it has something profound to say.
The rest of us who have read the books will likely find a deeply disappointing travesty and actively hate it. Whichever camp you are in I don’t think this a good use of two hours of your time. Avoid!