Mickey 17 premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and was first shown to the Korean press on February 17th through a press screening. After the premiere, one thing became clear—like all movies, Mickey 17 is not a film that will be universally praised as the “best.” Some viewers will likely enjoy it, while others may not. With that in mind, here are some aspects of Mickey 17 that might be divisive.
Packed with Humor and Irony vs. Not the Dystopian Nightmare You Expected
The fact that it’s a “fun” movie is both its strength and its weakness. Mickey 17 is a comedy without a doubt. While the original novel, Mickey 7, was a dystopian story laced with dry, cynical humor, Mickey 17 takes a different approach—using exaggerated characters and situations to create a satirical story about Earth’s societal issues. Bong Joon Ho’s earlier films had a more subtle kind of humor woven into the absurdity, but this movie puts his signature comedic style right out front. This means the movie leans more towards bittersweet comedy than exploring the human struggles of Mickey (played by Robert Pattinson), who dies ten times more in the film than in the book. The film also does not focus on the details of humanity’s colonization of the ice planet Niflheim, its environment or the missions of the spaceship crew. Because of this, viewers expecting a film that strictly follows the conventions of classic sci-fi may find themselves disappointed.
No need to know the book to enjoy vs. Satire makes characters feel absurd
Mickey 17’s radical departure from Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey 7 is both a blessing and a curse. The film borrows only the main setting from the original novel and changes all the characters, main narrative, and ending. Because of this, whether or not you’ve read the original, the film offers a fresh viewing experience. However, this very aspect is likely to divide opinions. The biggest difference from the original lies in the depiction of its characters. Mickey 17 features exaggerated, almost cartoonish personalities. Mark Ruffalo’s character, politician Kenneth Marshall, and Toni Collette’s character, Ilpa Marshall, drive the film’s central ‘farce’. The characters in a theatrical tone function somewhat directly for satire. For instance, the film introduces a showboating politician wearing a red hat emblazoned with “One And Only” instead of “Make America Great Again”. Depending on the viewer, this might feel either refreshingly bold or too on-the-nose to be truly entertaining.
Everything Bong Joon Ho does best vs. Overstuffed with too many themes
Mickey 17 feels like Bong Joon Ho unleashed, and that’s a double-edged sword. He’s taken the problems of our world and transplanted them to a space setting. While the film explores a wide range of issues, they’re all familiar territory for Bong Joon Ho. The movie touches on everything: ecology, colonialism, capitalism, class, and even eugenics, but among them, its ecological perspective from Okja is the most pronounced. Mickey 17 attempts to cover both environmentalism and class issues, unlike Okja, which focused solely on environmentalism, and Snowpiercer and Parasite, which were laser-focused on class issues. As a result, the film’s themes can feel somewhat diluted instead of delivering a sharply defined message.
No uncomfortable aftertaste vs. Too “nice” and safe
One of the good and bad things about this movie is that it’s not uncomfortable. If you like the slightly edgy, unsettling feel of Bong Joon Ho’s other work, Mickey 17 might feel a bit too polished. Perhaps it’s because it’s not set in Korea. Robert Pattinson, who’s basically taken over Song Kang Ho’s usual spot as Bong’s go-to actor, is great, no doubt. But he doesn’t have that same “down-on-his-luck” vibe that Song Kang Ho’s characters always nail. Plus, the social commentary in Mickey 17 is more direct and in-your-face than his other films. It feels less provocative and even nice. Compared to his previous films, its themes feel less confrontational and more refined, which may be why one international outlet at the Berlin premiere described it as “preachy.”
Stream Bong Joon Ho’s masterpieces for free! Watch on OnDemand Korea or Amasian.tv via lgchannels.com (U.S. Channel 250, Canada Channel 263) or online at Amasian.tv.
