Mickey 17 is an epic and charming sci-fi masterpiece.
It’s about Mickey Barnes, who in an attempt to escape an unfortunate situation on Earth, encounters an unfortunate situation in space.
You’d think that that would be fine, because, in a way, Mickey can’t die. His thoughts and memories get printed into a new body when the old one craps out.
Sound interesting? Mickey will tell you all about it; for most of the first half of the movie he narrates what’s going on. And as we listen, we watch how this invincible person has become, well, completely expendable. A lab rat for the so-called benefit of humankind.
These scenes are mildly graphic, but mostly they are thought-provoking, and often they are funny. There is something identifiable about this reject on a ship of societal rejects; the way he carries himself, a hunched, soft-spoken good-at-nothing. We can’t help but root for Mickey (and by extension, all those like him who who are down on their luck, used, mistreated?) to succeed.
And what is success here? It becomes hard to tell when the ship, run by a childish leader, encounters a new planet.
Mickey’s actor puts on a ranging, powerhouse performance, and (his companion) Nasha’s, a deeply satisfying one. Kudos to the casting director for picking an exceptional cast here.
Watch this one for drama drama drama. Fiction that is in several senses all too real.