MICKEY 17

MICKEY 17

Written and Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Over five years ago, Bong Joon-ho's international hit, PARASITE won 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director. In his highly anticipated followup the South Korean filmmaker returns to the genre of social commentary dark science fiction with MICKEY 17. 

Earth is becoming a dystopian wasteland and Mickey (Robert Pattinson) wants off, so he applies to become an "Expendable" on a space voyage to colonize a new planet. A dimwitted wimp with a soft-spoken accent straight off Steve Buscemi in FARGO, Mickey of course never read the paperwork. Being an Expendable means they will send him on dangerous science missions and clone (or "print out") a new Mickey whenever he dies. Which is a fair amount! 

After paying his dues in the TWILIGHT franchise, R.Patz has become one of our boldest and most interesting young stars. Working with visionary auteurs and giving performances that can often be described as "weird", he's always exciting. Which is to say his performance as Mickey 17 is a bit challenging, you don't hate him but he's not particularly likeable either. We get a very fun early montage of all the previous Mickeys as they are used as lab rats and die in gruesome violent ways. 

It would've been cool if they played with that a bit more. Instead we get a pretty convoluted plot involving a failed politician leading the colony expedition, a love story barely explored, something about a narcotic being dealt that is totally abandoned, and a whole plot about the native creatures on the new planet that seems to be tacked on at the end. 

The romance between Mickey and Naomi Ackie's Nasha is initially introduced as a major story beat but quickly goes nowhere. In fact, the majority of the movie is kind of a meandering mess with some serious pacing issues. It's all lots of ideas, there's even a whole white power thing! But nothing really comes together or is mentioned again. 

What kept me engaged is the performances from Pattinson, Ackie and a scenery-chewing Mark Ruffalo as the villain politician who is absolutely, definitely, surely not doing Trump (at least according to Bong. Sure!). Pattinson carries the movie but it's Ackie, the rising star from last year's BLINK TWICE, who gives it the propulsive energy it otherwise is sorely lacking. The rest of the supporting cast. including Steven Yeun and Toni Collette, are wildly underused and one wonders just how much of them was left on the cutting room floor. I would have liked to have seen more of the dynamic between Mickey 17 and the short tempered 18, one of the best parts of the movie and - you guessed it - it doesn't really go anywhere.

Employing a color palette that ranges from sludge grey to sludge beige, I was desperate for a pop of color. Coupled with the shoddy backlit green screen and poor creature effects, nothing is particularly outstanding. 

Now I know why the studio was seemingly soft-dumping this in March. 

⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4