The latest film from critically-acclaimed film director Bong Joon Ho, the comedic sci-fi American film “Mickey 17,” premiered in South Korea back in February and in the United States on March 7. Featuring many noteworthy actors, including Robert Pattinson in the leading role as well as Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo and Steven Yuen the movie tackles themes of classism, capitalism and Manifest Destiny throughout its two-hour runtime, albeit not as effectively as Bong’s previous works.
Over the last couple years, Bong has become somewhat of a household name in the film industry. While his previous films have always been highly regarded by critics, it was his 2019 South Korean film, “Parasite,” that catapulted him to mainstream attention, becoming the first foreign film to receive a Best Picture win at the Oscars. The film is considered a masterpiece in social class commentary.
His newest film, “Mickey 17,” not only falls in line with previous American productions such as “Snowpiercer,” but is also loosely adapted from the 2007 book “Mickey7” by American author Edward Nashton. The adaptation itself contains a lot of Bong’s signature marks, including light elements of black comedy, quirky characterization and contemporary critiques of capitalism.
Set in the mid-21st century, Mickey Barnes and his sleazy friend Timo find refuge on a government-funded spaceship after failing to pay off a loan shark. Led by an influential politician named Kenneth Marshall, the ship travels several years in order to colonize the seemingly deserted planet of Niflheim.
In order to have boarded the expedition, Mickey Barnes signs a contract with the government to work as an “Expendable”— an all-in-one worker that dies frequently for research purposes, while being seamlessly resurrected by a human printer that keeps all of his memories intact. During a scientific assignment on Niflheim, the 17th copy of Mickey is thought to have been eaten by an alien race nicknamed “The Creepers.” The events following this cause a domino effect that results in the governmental uprising.
As described previously, the plot is all over the place, constantly changing its tone as well as the themes tackled throughout its runtime. For the most part, the film places its focus on the struggles of expendable workers in the wake of an extremely corporate, capitalist society, which the film does a commendable job portraying visually with its unique science fiction worldbuilding. However, the story’s unique setup ultimately builds up to a third act that isn’t entirely disappointing, but rather wholly unremarkable.
What helps to remedy the story’s ups and downs is the film’s acting performances. Robert Pattinson does an excellent job of portraying both Mickey number 17 as well as Mickey number 18: a Mickey clone who is accidentally printed in the wake of Mickey 17’s presumed death. Pattinson’s acting on both spectrums, portraying 17 as more timid and scared of being replaced, and 18 as more angsty and frightened by the ethical dilemma of confronting his past clone, provides engaging and interesting interactions.
Naomi Ackie does a fantastic job as Mickey’s girlfriend Nasha, an agent he meets aboard the spaceship, albeit their romance could have used a tad more development. While Steven Yuen’s performance as Timo was fine enough, his character could have had more connections to the larger story. While it does spark Mickey and Timo to travel off Earth in the first place, the conclusion of the storyline doesn’t add much to the film’s larger narrative, ultimately straining the film’s plot with a disappointing storyline.
One of the film’s more interesting performances comes from Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall, who seeks to wipe out the population of Creepers and threatens the lives of their alien kin. When watching the film, it is quite obvious that Ruffalo portrays Marshall as a political figure directly inspired by multiple contemporary politicians, including Donald Trump. While Bong denies the direct comparison of Marshall to the U.S. President, the humorous imitations that Ruffalo gives off, combined with the actor’s previous social media statements on politics, makes it hard to unsee the comparison. While Ruffalo’s performance does help to elevate the film’s dark comedic tone, further showcasing its commentary on capitalist culture, it could have been more powerful if Marshall were portrayed as less over-the-top.
There are important takeaways from “Mickey 17”. While it does a great job of establishing its world and themes, helped in part with some memorable performances, it feels like a little more focus could have made this film more impactful. Bong has proven capable of producing groundbreaking films such as “Parasite,” and while it comes nowhere close to reaching that height, “Mickey 17” is still worth checking out.
