Going from bad to worse is never and ideal situation but for Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), that is exactly what he is facing. Fleeing a Loan Shark after his business partner made a bad deal and facing chainsaw related consequences, Mickey and his friend flee earth to a distant world thanks to a failed politician turned faith leader named Marshall (Mark Ruffalo).
Mickey’s friend Time (Steven Yeun), has earned passage due to a recently obtained pilot certification but the unskilled Mickey has to resort to being an “Expendable” who is given deadly tasks only to be reprinted a day after death.
This exposes Mickey to all sorts of unpleasant tasks but his memories are backed up and his Girlfriend Nasha (Naomi Ackie), is a bright spot in his life and helps ease the difficult tasks he must endure as well as people constantly asking him what it feels like to die.
Upon reaching the planet; the crew must wait out a pathogen until Mickey and his numerous spawns find a safe vaccine and when an exploration leaved Mickey assumed dead at the hands of native wildlife; he returns home to find his replacement has already been printed.
This is a massive issue as the already controversial practice does not allow for multiples due to an incident on earth and his new version is unstable and violent.
What follows is an over-the-top examination of politics, religion, morality, and relationships from Director Bong Joon Jo who adapted the film from the book.
The movie has some great ideas but for me moved very slowly in areas and could easily have had twenty to thirty minutes cut from the final product. While the performances were good, Ruffalo was so over-the-top at times that it was almost difficult to watch as he went fully into his maniacal character.
Pattinson shines as an everyman trying to do what is right and in the end; the movie gets enough things right to make it work.
3.5 stars out of 5
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