There’s a better Bong Joon Ho movie buried under Mickey 17

Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated film, Mickey 17, has finally been released after much delay, and it is a complex and overloaded sci-fi epic that leaves viewers both intrigued and confused. The film follows the journey of Mickey 17 (played by Robert Pattinson), a man who sells himself into servitude as an “expendable” on a space expedition where he is tasked with dangerous experiments that often lead to his death. However, Mickey’s memories are preserved and uploaded into a cloned body each time he dies, making him a valuable asset for the expedition’s leaders.

One of the key elements of the film is the relationship between Mickey 17 and his clone, Mickey 18. As they find themselves on a snow planet called Niflheim, facing a mob of alien creatures and armed with explosives and machetes, they reflect on a memory from Mickey 17’s past involving a red button he pushed as a child that led to his mother’s death. This moment of vulnerability and introspection adds depth to the characters but also highlights the overwhelming amount of subplots and themes present in the film.

The film also delves into themes of wealth, power, and morality through characters like Kenneth Marshall (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Ylfa (played by Toni Collette), who engage in unethical and cruel practices in the name of scientific advancement. The concept of “sauce” is introduced as a metaphor for the degradation of humanity in a future society where the rich consume the literal and metaphorical remains of others.

However, Mickey 17 struggles to balance its many plotlines and themes, often introducing intriguing elements that are quickly dropped or resolved in unsatisfactory ways. The film’s numerous delays and editing debates suggest a lack of cohesion and direction, leaving viewers with a sense of incompleteness and confusion.

While Bong Joon Ho’s ambitious vision and Pattinson’s compelling performance offer glimpses of brilliance, Mickey 17 ultimately feels like a compromised and disjointed version of the epic tale it was meant to be. The film’s overabundance of ideas and unresolved storylines hinder its impact, leaving audiences with more questions than answers.

In conclusion, Mickey 17 is a visually stunning and thematically rich film that falls short of its potential due to its cluttered narrative and lack of focus. Bong Joon Ho’s bold choices and Pattinson’s nuanced portrayal elevate the film, but ultimately, it fails to deliver a cohesive and satisfying experience.