Film Review: ‘Mickey 17’ Has Enjoyable Aspects But is An Undeniable Disappointment From Bong Joon Ho

Parasite is a perfect film. For me, it’s easily the best of Bong Joon Ho‘s career and a pinnacle of modern cinema. Now, Okja and Snowpiercer are solid movies, though pale in comparison. So, when I tell you that Mickey 17 feels like Bong was finally given an unlimited budget and decided to remix Okja and Snowpiercer together, it explains, at least in part, why this was such a disappointing experience for me. The flick has its charms and is far from bad, to be sure. It’s just a far cry from what the follow-up to a stone cold masterpiece could and should be.

Mickey 17 consistently feels like it’s leaving more on the table. Whenever things get interesting, which is not quite enough, unfortunately, it quickly pivots back to familiar and well-worn territory. You can’t help but get the sense that Bong is just doing the hits, though with less conviction than usual. Whether it’s the limits of the source material or whatever the case may be, this is far less effective than it should be.

When he gets caught in a bind on Earth, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) accidentally agrees to become an “expendable” and sign away his life in a very real way. Havinf his body scanned and his memories archived, the corporation he now works for can replicate him whenever he meets an unfortunate end. Considering how they treat him, essentially as a guinea pig on a vessel sent to colonize the icy planet of Niflheim, that’s fairly often. We meet the latest incarnation of him, Mickey 17, on the planet where his buddy Timo (Steven Yeun), who actually is the reason he got in trouble in the first place, has left him for dead. Expecting to just be printed out again, he accepts his fate, only to find that the creatures populating the planet are helpful and don’t have an interest in slaughtering him.

Back on the ship, which is led by the Trump-ian dolt Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Ylfa (Toni Collette) like a fanatical religion, Mickey 17 is presumed dead, so Mickey 18 is printed. The thing is, law dictates that there can never be two of the same person at once, so when Mickey 17 returns, it causes major problems. Between their interest in Nasha (Naomi Ackie), Mickey 18’s desire to kill Marshall, and the ruling couple’s plan to wipe out the creatures on the planet, there’s a lot of chaos going on. It just sadly doesn’t add up to too much of anything in the end.

Robert Pattinson is having a lot of fun with the multiple roles aspect of this production. The unusual voice he gives Mickey 17 is more annoying than anything else, but it’s undeniably a choice. Still, it’s good work overall, with a playful quality to his various incarnations of Mickey. Likewise, Mark Ruffalo is delighting in satirizing a current leader with this fictional one. It’s a paper-thin role, albeit one he finds consistent amusement. Toni Collette is under-served but at her best when working off of, and with, Ruffalo. Steven Yeun is mostly wasted, while Naomi Ackie makes the most of a part you wish had more meat on its bones. Supporting players here include Cameron Britton, Holliday Grainger, Michael Monroe, Anamaria Vartolomei, and more.

Bong Joon Ho writes and directs, adapting the Edward Ashton novel Mickey7. More is not necessarily better, though he’s at his best when he’s having fun with offing Mickey. Still, you wish more of it was there, as things quickly give way into a Snowpiercer riff, before becoming a repeat of Okja, at least partially thematically. The cinematography from Darius Khondji is solid, though there’s not a ton creative about the visuals here. That’s the thing overall, as whatever works does so in a minor key. Nothing stands out in a way that we know Bong is capable of.

Mickey 17 is a disappointment, mainly due to what we’ve seen from Director Bong before. It’s not a bad film, but it’s more an ordinary one. The movie should be more fun, more interesting, and leave you more satisfied. The fact that it’s not able to lingered with me, resulting in a very mild thumbs down when all is said and done. Alas.

SCORE: ★★1/2