From Bong Joon-Ho’s innovative mind comes a new theatrical release starring Robert Pattinson’s first major movie appearance since 2022’s The Batman. Based on the popular novel “Mickey7,” Mickey 17 stands as an intuitive social commentary on the current state of the world.
Premise
Mickey 17 follows a young man named Mickey Barnes as he signs up to be an expendable on a space colonization expedition. Mickey’s role as an expendable is reduced to dying for the sake of science in order to be cloned and revived via banned technologies.
Four years pass when the expedition lands them on a snowy planet they called “Niflheim.” After multiple deaths and clones later, Mickey successfully tested a working vaccine that helps make the frozen planet habitable.
After a confusing and death-defying accident, two clones of Mickey, or as the film emphasizes as an illegal act called “multiples,” rely on each other as they both face the common human fear of dying.
Across the hefty 2-hour runtime of the film, Mickey 17 tackles ongoing issues regarding the current political scene as well as media coverage fanning the flames of xenophobia. Even though the film, having a positive message being portrayed between the lines, doesn’t make it immune to criticism.
Review
Mickey 17 is a portrayal of current times as the political world in the futuristic sci-fi setting changes rapidly. After a political campaign run by Mark Ruffalo’s character Kenneth Marshall, the dangerous and controversial ability to clone individuals falls in the hands of a high authority.
I can appreciate a well structured film that embeds it’s narrative to tell a larger-than-life story. With Mickey 17’s stance on current world issues being displayed so upfront and boldened, it helped me, as a viewer, feel as immersed as ever. However, some might not appreciate how “on the nose” the film may be from time-to-time regarding its political stance. Understandably so as many use film to escape from the uncertainty and fear the real world might carry.
The humor, however, stands out as this is definitely one of Bong Joon-Ho’s more comedic films, still carried a weight that can only have been explained by a sense of impending doom. With extraterrestrials and the mystery behind the new planet “Niflheim,” Mickey 17 finds a way to have a pendulum swing both sides as both a comedy or a sci-fi drama.
To nobody’s surprise, Bong Joon-Ho’s team brought a spectacle of a film to the big screen. Every shot held weight, with color composition that dialed in on expressions, and set pieces that may have been directed intentionally to keep a sense of uneasiness. The film does a remarkable job at finding an ambience, and almost child-like spirit, that’s consistent through-out.
My one gripe with the film is the narrative that seems to have trouble finding it’s pace. With flashbacks and plot holes galore, Mickey 17 is narratively structured in a way that resembles a rollercoaster ride.
Sinking your teeth in the established lore and cinematography, the ride begins moving up and down the rails. As new events start to unfold and plots begin twisting, so does the rollercoaster with sharper turns that jolt your body back.
Just like a rollercoaster, a climatic ending done well is what makes a film memorable. Unfortunately, Mickey 17 falls short of that regard with it’s climatic ending feeling more like a small drop that leads you right back to the start of the ride.
I think Mickey 17 lacked a sense of ambition that stood in the way of reaching its potential. One thing I can imagine fixing this issue would be a sequel. With Edward Ashton (author of Mickey7) publishing a sequel for the original novel titled “Antimatter Blues,” a “part-two” could be what ties everything together into a beautiful sci-fi film.
Final Score (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Given Bong Joon Ho’s reputation and discography of film, it makes it hard not to compare this new title with the likes of Parasyte and Memories of Murder. Though I personally wouldn’t put Mickey 17 on the same tier, the cinematography and color composition of the film was a healthy reminder that we are in a spectacular era for film. With the likes of Severance and A24 indie films, It’s becoming more and more common to express a films message through means that redefine the era before. Mickey 17, though with its own setbacks and underwhelming ambitions, is still a film worth watching as you can almost feel the passion and love of filmmaking ooze from it.
Featured Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
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