Mickey 17seesBong Joon Hocontinuing to explore many of the themes that havecompelled him throughout his career. It is a pro-animal, anti-xenophobia film that touches on the exploitative nature of capitalism, humanity’s reckless impact on our planet, the cruel outcomes of economic inequality,and the increasingly relevant consequences of authoritarianism.There are clear shades of Bong’s two other English-language films—OkjaandSnowpiercer—as well as the Best Picture-winningParasiteinMickey 17. The difference between his prior films and his latest, though, is that Bong, a director often praised for his nuance, approachesMickey 17with a bit of a heavier hand, opting formore overt satireat times.
Though you’ve never had to dig too deep into Bong’s films to unpack their politics, he has always hada masterful ability to control tone and political messagingin his movies. WhileMickey 17is still an enjoyable ride and a remarkable piece of filmmaking with a lot of merit, it feels slightly more uneven than some of his previous efforts due to a few of the more in-your-face satirical choices that are made. And, as a film with a lot on its mind, these choices left less time for the film’s most considered and effective theme—the importance of self-worth and self-acceptance—whichMickey 17explores through the journey of its main character, brought to life by a jaw-droppingly spectacularRobert Pattinsonperformance.
‘Mickey 17’ Is a Tale About Finding One’s Self — 18 Different Times
Based on Edward Ashton’s novelMickey7, the film is set primarilyon a spaceship in the year 2054. The ship is headed towards a faraway planet named Niflheim, carrying a crew of soldiers, scientists, and others who areworking under the leadership of an eccentric, failed politiciannamed Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), who dreams of colonizing the planet. Pattinson stars as the titular Mickey, a down-on-his-luck man who somewhat unwittingly signs up to be an “Expendable” on the expedition after he and his friend Timo (Steven Yeun)are forced to flee Earth to escape a dangerous loan sharkfollowing a business failure. An expendable is someone who is given death-ensuring tasks that allow the rest of the film’s crew to gather vital information. Following an expendable’s death,their bodies are reprinted, with their downloaded memories inserted into the new versionsof themselves.
AsMickey’s job quite literally is to die,the audience is introduced to him as a fairly miserable, detached, and disillusioned person. Taking a minute to find its footing, the film really kicks into gear when the version of Mickey we initially meet—Mickey 17—mistakenly comes face to face with a reprinted version of himself: Mickey 18.From here, it turns into a treatise on the importance of putting in the necessary work toexplore, accept, and find love for all aspects of ourselves.While Mickey 17 is a kind-hearted, hapless people-pleaser, Mickey 18 is a more aggressive, defiant, and self-assured figure. These differences lead to comedic conflicts between the two Mickeys and create a logistically confounding,yet scintillating love trianglethat features the two of them and Mickey’s longtime girlfriend Nasha (Naomie Ackie)—but they alsoserve as a way for 17 to find his self-worth, and in doing so, become something of a hero to those around him.
“I Relied Heavily on Rob”: Bong Joon Ho Discusses Mickey 17 and What Robert Pattinson Brought to His Characters
Collider’s own Steve Weintraub was lucky enough to sit down with director Bong and his translator to talk about all things Mickey 17.
The arc Mickey goes on is a beautiful metaphor forthe need to firstfind love for one’s selfin order to properly love othersand contribute positively to the world around you. Though it lands better than some of the film’s more blatant political messaging,Mickey’s journey does not come without its political morals. It touches on how our capitalistic society forces many of us into jobs that strip us of our self-worth and sense of purpose. Moreover, it is not until Mickey overcomes this that he can help save the “Creepers”—Niflheim’s indigenous species that Marshall is targeting and attempting to eradicate throughout the film. Overall,there is more for the viewer to find in Mickey’spath to self-discoverythan in the film’s satire, which mainly comes in the form of Ruffalo’s character and the way he chooses to portray him.
‘Mickey 17’s Political Satire, and Mark Ruffalo’s Performance, Are Hit-Or-Miss
Ruffalo’s character—a brash and image-obsessed buffoon whose dreams of establishing a new society on a “pure white planet” are supported bycult-like followersdonning red hats—should seem unfortunately familiar to most American audience members. AlongsideToni Collette, who gives a similarlygonzo performancein the role of his wife,Ruffalo is purposefully over-the-top in his portrayal of Marshall. While the performance certainly isn’t a bad one, actually bringing forth many of the film’s more amusing moments, it does stand out a bit and makes the film feel at times tonally imbalanced and unfocused. Moreover,it pales in comparison to Pattinson’s transfixing portrayal of Mickeybecause Ruffalo’s choices feel distractingly replicative of something from the real world (a thing, by the way, most of us are tired of watching), while Pattinson’s performance feels like aninventive,wholly uniquecreation.
Though humorous and not misguided,the film’s clear references to modern American politics complicate the narrative a bit,which is especially troubling given that it can already be seen as overstuffed with ideas. As a master of the craft, Bong is able to nimbly weave those ideas into his story better than most directors would. Butdue to Pattinson’s outstanding performanceand the effectiveness of his character’s journey, mixed with the more obvious and underwhelming aspects of Ruffalo’s character—it feels likeMickey 17might have been better served if it spent even more time focusing on Mickey.
Adapted from the novel by Edward Ashton, Mickey 7 is a Sci-Fi film that follows Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson) and his journey to the ice world Niflheim to colonize the planet. Mickey 17 is an “expendable” employee to be used and thrown away after completing their task - often a dangerous one - but when one iteration of Mickey dies, he is reborn in a new body with a large portion of his memories still intact. After six deaths, however, Mickey finally begins to understand the job and why it was always an unfilled position.
