Welcome back to the blog readers. Well, the time has finally come. This film has finally, FINALLY, released in theaters. I was starting to think it would never happen because of all the delays (this film changed release dates four times over the last year and a half). I have always been interested in this film since I heard about it, because the novel it is based on is pretty eclectic. Would I be able to appreciate the end result? Would it even be worth the wait? Stick around to find out.
Mickey 17 was written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. The film stars Robert Pattinson (and Robert Pattinson, and Robert Pattinson, and so on...), Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. In the film, Mickey Barnes signs up to be an "expendable" (in which he is repeatedly sent on suicide missions and cloned) on his ship's voyage to a new planet. When Mickey 17 survives his suicide mission, he comes face-to-face with the recently cloned Mickey 18 where all hell breaks loose.
I love me a good science-fiction film, especially with how good of a year we had last year with Dune: Part Two and Alien: Romulus (both 2024). I figured this one would be good because it is directed by the same guy who gave us Snowpiercer (2013) and Parasite (2019). And going into this film, I had it in my most anticipated of this year. And thankfully, I really enjoyed the film. I really enjoyed Robert Pattinson's performance(s) (and I will leave you with a hot take at the end of it), the social commentary, and Bong Joon-ho's eclectic script.
Let's talk about "Twilight boi" Robert Pattinson for a brief minute. Obviously he was not able to shake the stigma of Twilight (2008-12) from him for a long time, and I think it was The Batman (2022) that really began doing it for him. Now he is in a Bong Joon-ho picture and he was absolutely delightful in this role(s). Playing 18 versions of the same character feels like heavy-duty (especially with a story so dense), but Pattinson is able to bring a certain level of charm to the role that I found magnetic as hell. Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 are two distinct characters, but Pattinson knows how to infuse himself into these roles perfectly. Ready for that hot take? I know it is way too early to be talking about this, but I think he may nag himself an Oscar nomination for this role. And I am 100% serious. And you don't even need to call me Shirley.
I also want to briefly talk about the performance of Mark Ruffalo as politician Kenneth Marshall. Ruffalo has been one of the more reliable actors we have had in the business, and he is able to blend in perfectly to any role he is in. This role is no different because he gets to dive into a certain person's character issues and embody them in a larger-than-life display that sees him become absolutely detestable. Toni Collette kind of does the same thing here, but not as efficiently as Ruffalo does it. Another hot take here: I would nominate Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor for this role.
I next want to talk about the script by Bong Joon-ho for a minute, because there is Best Adapted Screenplay potential all over it. There are a lot of social issues that this film tackles (I will specifically talk about them in a bit) and I think Bong is able to capture the instability and write the hell out of this film. I feel a bit of similarity to his previous film Parasite that won Best Picture: in that he was able to capture a social situation and tell a chilling story with it. He does it again here, and the results are breathtaking. He tackles ethics, fanaticism and class disparity so well here.
And finally, I want to talk about those social issues I alluded to for a bit. Like Parasite (and his previous films at that), Bong has always been someone to tell the story of the little man and their struggles. But based on everything that has happened in American politics over the last decade, I am not surprised to see that being a major influence, especially in Mark Ruffalo
s character. The wannabe dictator mirrors a certain someone to a tee, and the fanaticism that surrounds this person is hauntingly similar in my opinion. I don't want to get into the whole political side of things, I just wanted to point out how similar it is. Also, ethics is a big topic of this film, especially with all of the awesome science fiction in this film. This film raises some big ethical questions and forces you to ponder the answers, long after you leave the theater.
In conclusion, Mickey 17 is a thought-provoking look at society framed in the lens of a wonderfully-crafted science fiction story that is equal parts thrilling and funny. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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