Mickey 17 is a Blunt but Fun Sci-Fi Flick

IMDb

3.5/5 stars

Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer) is not known for subtlety. His films are open and obvious critiques of capitalist systems and that is what makes them so entertaining. This hasn't changed one iota with his new sci-fi satire Mickey 17, a film that definitely wears its heart on its sleeve. Its story is muddled and often too scattershot for its own good, but it never loses that sense of entertainment and sincerity that has become synonymous with Bong's style.

In the 2050s, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs up for a space colonization crew to escape a debt to loan sharks. Unfortunately, in his haste, he signs up as an "expendable," a crew member who will do the most dangerous missions and be cloned every time he dies. However, after an 18th Mickey is created when the 17th one is erroneously presumed dead, the colony now has a "multiples" problem. Soon the Mickeys find themselves in the middle of an ethical and philosophical debate while tensions rise between the humans and their new planet's indigenous inhabitants.

Typical of Bong, his political critiques could not be more obvious; in this case how the elites will enrich themselves at the expense of human life. That message often gets bogged down in an abundance of subplots, about half of which don't really go anywhere. That said, the main story is an entertaining one, the acting is strong (especially Pattinson's dual roles), and it has a rare sense of optimism not common in Bong's work. Mickey 17 may not be up to the heights of Bong's best work, but it makes for a fun ride. 

Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho // Based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton // Starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackis, Steven Yeun, Anamaria Vartolomei, Steve Park, Patsy Ferran, Tim Key, Holliday Grainger, Michael Monroe, Edward Davis, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo // Warner Bros. Pictures // 137 minutes // Rated R