Robert Pattinson and director Bong Joon-ho's promotional activities for their new film "Mickey 17" are almost unbelievably heartwarming. From Pattinson trying spicy noodles to accepting interviews with puppies, to the two constantly making heart gestures, everything feels incredibly endearing.
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03-10, 2025While the promotional events are highly entertaining, the film they are promoting is a uniquely styled science fiction comedy. This marks Bong Joon-ho's first project since winning the Academy Award for Best Picture with "Parasite" in 2020, confirming his return to the realm of quirky science fiction comedy. Pattinson, now in the prime of his career, is also participating with great enthusiasm.
The film begins with Mickey 17 facing death. He lies at the bottom of a frigid canyon, his spacesuit damaged, actually somewhat annoyed that falling from 40 feet didn't kill him swiftly and cleanly. At this moment, his work partner, Timo (played by Steven Yeun), descends from the sky, but not to help – in fact, he merely wants to ask Mickey 17 a question before he dies: "What does death feel like?"
Before revealing the secrets of death, Bong Joon-ho flashes back, explaining how it all happened. In the near future, 2054 (closer to us now than 1995!), the original Mickey yearns to escape Earth. He and Timo borrow seed money from some shady characters, open a macaron shop, but ultimately go bankrupt, and now the creditors are closing in.
Faced with the threat of violent dismemberment, Mickey signs up to be an "expendable" on an interstellar spaceship embarking on a four-year mission to colonize a distant planet called Niflheim. Expendables are somewhere between medical test subjects and canaries in a coal mine. Their safety is not important, because if one of them dies, they can 3D print another perfect clone with the same memories. The person we meet at the bottom of the frigid canyon is actually the 17th version of someone who was once named Mickey Barnes. The 16 before him suffered terrible fates, from space radiation poisoning to direct nerve gas attacks.
The ship is captained by the loathsome, failed politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo, wearing ridiculously large false teeth), and is packed with his sycophantic, red-hatted followers. Bong Joon-ho has long satirized capitalism and the repulsive figures it produces, and Ruffalo's portrayal takes it a step further – he has a Trump-esque accent, Musk-like delusions of grandeur, and the demeanor of an overzealous megachurch pastor. Beside Kenneth is his equally morally bankrupt wife, Irfa (Toni Collette). She ludicrously insists that the most natural distinction between human classes lies in whether one insists on sauce at dinner, even though most on the colony are subjected to mandatory food rations.
Problems arise when Mickey 17 doesn't die in the icy canyons of Niflheim, but is instead rescued by the planet's indigenous inhabitants (who look like the offspring of an octopus and a hippopotamus). However, due to the nature of capitalist greed, the scientists back at base have already printed Mickey 18. This is a serious violation of interstellar law and could result in both Mickeys, as well as the brick holding all their memories, being deleted forever.
Audiences hoping to see a sharp, reality-grounded social satire like "Parasite" may be disappointed. While the film does offer commentary on capitalism and colonialism, it's somewhat less potent. Kenneth and Irfa are caricatures of the wealthy and powerful figures typical of Bong Joon-ho's work, single-mindedly intent on wiping out the creatures of Niflheim, even as thousands of them swarm around the ship, displaying impressive visual effects. But their fanatical cruelty, their insistence on a state of "purity," and even a lengthy description of a female character as the perfect incubator, align with our expectations of the current political climate. It resembles life in 2025 too closely, making the commentary feel somewhat irritating. Perhaps this is the curse of filming three years ago, as Ruffalo insists.
"Mickey 17" is undoubtedly Robert Pattinson's film, and the former teen idol throws himself into it in a very unique way. His interpretation of the meek, submissive, high-pitched Mickey 17, and his infatuation with ship security officer Nasha (Naomi Ackie), become even more impressive after the appearance of Mickey 18. Dark, melancholic, and yearning for basic pleasures, Mickey 18 is a comically bad boy, and Pattinson perfectly embodies both characters with Jim Carrey-esque physicality.
In terms of Bong Joon-ho's previous works, "Mickey 17" is closest to "Okja," his 2017 black comedy about the friendship between a girl and a giant CGI pig. It also reunites him with cinematographer Darius Khondji, who imbues both films with stunning beauty and visual gags. Like "Okja," "Mickey 17" oscillates between slapstick comedy, grand action sequences, and grotesque displays of wealth, power, and twisted humanity. It also poses a similar primary question: what makes one sentient life more important than another?
However, "Mickey 17" never reaches the dizzying, shocking heights of "Okja," which kept its focus on the central relationship. In "Mickey 17," Bong Joon-ho throws out explanations that are never fully followed up on, leading to a conclusion that is more muddled and lacks impact compared to his previous works. While "Mickey 17" is not as refined as Bong Joon-ho's earlier films, it is still a commendable addition to the South Korean director's body of work. It's an engaging, offbeat, and comically-charged adventure, in which Pattinson delivers one of his most committed performances in recent years.
"Mickey 17" is now in theaters.
