Bong Joon-ho, ever the master of the sleight-of-hand genre, takes on deep-space survival in Mickey 17, a film that wants to be a high-concept meditation on identity, a satire of corporate-megachurch futurism, and a doomed romance all at once.
It's the kind of ambition you almost want to applaud, until the pieces start bumping into each other like lost satellites. Robert Pattinson plays Mickey, so down on his luck he's signed up to be a human guinea pig – or rather, a human printer cartridge . Die, get reprinted, repeat. It's a premise ripe with the kind of dark irony Bong seems to relish, and Pattinson delivers that signature hangdog look that suggests he's already anticipating the next gruesome demise .
This Mickey Barnes is an "expendable," a disposable worker sent on dangerous missions to colonize the icy planet Niflheim . The catch is that when he dies, he's cloned with his memories intact, a process deemed too ethically dubious for Earth itself .
Bong, ever the cinematic chef, throws a lot into his pot . You've got your high-concept sci-fi about identity, a supposedly biting satire of future corporate-religious zealots, and a tender romance blooming amidst the cryogenic chill . The question, as always with these ambitious genre cocktails, is whether it all gels or just ends up a messy, albeit intriguing, concoction. The satirical elements, particularly concerning the leadership of the colony, feel broad, almost cartoonish and half baked . Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Kenneth Marshall, the failed politician turned leader, is akin to an SNL Trump skit and really pulls you out of the film . This lack of subtlety in the political commentary raises questions about the film's trust in its audience to discern the parallels to contemporary issues . While Bong has a history of tackling social themes , the execution here seems to favour obviousness over sharp wit .
Robert Pattinson, with his perpetually world-weary demeanor, certainly embodies the exhaustion of a man who has died sixteen times . He manages to convey the awkwardness and passivity of Mickey 17, while also hinting at the more assertive nature of Mickey 18 . This contrast between the two iterations, a departure from the book where the clones are more similar , offers Pattinson an opportunity to showcase different facets of the same core being.
In contrast, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette, as the power couple running the doomed expedition, deliver performances that lean heavily into caricature . Their portrayals of Kenneth and Ylfa Marshall are broad, almost cartoonish in their depiction of corporate greed and authoritarian tendencies . While this might be intended to underscore the satirical elements, it often feels like they are acting in a different film altogether, one pitched at a much broader comedic register.
Bong Joon-ho's visual imagination remains undeniable . The world of Mickey 17, from the sterile spaceship interiors to the eerie alien landscape, possesses a tangible quality .
Ultimately, Mickey 17 feels like a film struggling with its own identity . It presents intriguing ideas about the meaning of self in the face of endless replication, the exploitative nature of corporate power, and the possibility of connection in a bleak future. Yet, these strands never quite weave together into a cohesive and compelling vision . The film tries to be a grand statement on several fronts, but its reach might exceed its grasp. While Bong Joon-ho's cleverness as a filmmaker is evident in moments of visual flair and conceptual ingenuity, cleverness alone cannot always compensate for a lack of focus. The ambition is there, undoubtedly, but the execution feels uneven, leaving one with the sense that a more potent and singular film lies just beneath the surface.
Within the crowded landscape of science fiction cinema, Mickey 17 touches upon familiar themes . The concept of expendable cloned characters has been explored in various forms , and dystopian space colonization under corporate control is a well-trodden path . While Mickey 17 brings Bong's unique sensibilities to these tropes, it doesn't necessarily break significant new ground. As a satirical science fiction film , it possesses moments of dark humor, but its satirical edge often feels blunt rather than incisive.
Bong Joon-ho is undoubtedly a director with a singular vision, and Mickey 17 is certainly not lacking in ambition. There are flashes of his trademark wit and visual inventiveness, and Robert Pattinson manages to hold your attention even when the narrative threatens to unravel. But ultimately, this feels like a film straining to say too many things at once, resulting in a muddled and ultimately unsatisfying experience. It's uneven, alright, and while some will undoubtedly find that "interesting," that might just be another way of saying it doesn't quite work.
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