FILM REVIEW – Mickey 17 – Really Tall Guy

Stumbles on Itself, but Seems to Enjoy It

I love Directors who do not care. Those with extremely specific visions of material and no road block in sight. The films do not seem to be about resolution, more about the “friends/fun we made along the way”. Bong Joon-ho plays in this realm. He is so good at jumping from one genre to the next in just one scene (Parasite, Snowpiercer), but with Mickey 17, the vision trips over itself. A majority of the film plays extremely well into this fun place of over-the-top satire on a different planet. Then it shifts into more “mainstream” storytelling. That is when I snapped back to reality, felt some of the ridiculousness, and started looking at my watch. Luckily there was only 20 minutes left of the film.

Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as the titular character, the 17th “printed copy” of his original self. He signs up as part of an Expendable program headed to a new planet led by Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife (?) Ylfa (Toni Collette, who can do no wrong). Mickey is a test dummy for all potential threats on this new planet they are trying to inhabit. When Mickey 17 is presumed dead, the crew “prints” Mickey 18. What they do not realize is that Mickey 17 is still alive, so now they have Multiples. The film explores what happens when confronted with a different “version” of ourselves and how this can impact us and our surroundings.

What makes the movie feel light and bubbly and, dare I say, edgy gets softened by its final push. The message (politicians = greed = bad) goes from feeling fresh into the territory of “did they have to make it about this”. The fact this even pops up is disappointing. Listen, all movies are political. Art is political. But feeling “rah rah” instead of incisive gives fuel to fire for those who feel like Hollywood is going a certain way. Especially when you were doing so well the entire time!! At the end, though, I do not think Joon-ho really cares.

I have to once again point out Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette. They both chew up each scene with such ease it feels unfair. Robert Pattinson is also VERY good. If you did not hear his voice in Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, then you probably will be surprised here. His mannerisms and vocal inflections work the entire time. They anchor his character while maintaining that light, bubbly pace previously alluded to.

To be clear, I would take this type of movie over ones that feel like re-heated microwave meals any day. It is a wonderfully fun and unique time at the movies. The more audiences see these films, the more effort studios will make to continue producing them. Hopefully I get to see you along the Journey with my favorite Directors at the next screening.