Mickey 17, known as an expendable, goes on a dangerous journey to colonise an ice planet. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the long-awaited sci-fi film is a provocative examination that extracts intriguing questions out of its seemingly straightforward premise. With a razor sharp social critique at its core, Mickey 17 is an ambitious social commentary on humanity, exploitation through political means, and the pursuit of capitalism even at the expense of others.
Visually, Mickey 17 boasts incredibly imagery that emphasise its moments of pathos and horror. Upon first glance, the movie looks like a sci-if blockbuster in every sense of the word, except the latest Bong Joon-ho directed film also understands that characters and drama are what audiences are truly invested in when it comes to cinematic storytelling. Led by an incredibly charismatic Robert Pattinson, the movie is boasted by a stacked cast that exceeds expectations in delivering performances that are surprisingly humane in spite of the movie’s morbid themes.
While it’s technically marvelous, and the performances from most of the cast are relentlessly entertaining to watch, the satirical momentum of Mickey 17 does feel heavy-handed, occasionally. In particular, Mark Ruffalo plays an antagonist with no redeeming qualities, an egomaniac politician with nefarious plans. Sound familiar? Some of its more, on-the-nose allegories can sometimes come across as caricatures rather than a nuanced examination on the less pleasant sides of humanity. Interestingly, both Bong as well as Ruffalo have recently commented on the parallels.
During its best moments, Mickey 17 prompts the audience to reflect on the nature of humanity, to ponder upon the world we’re in the process of creating in the present day. Absurdly entertaining, the satirical sci-fi opus is surprisingly heartfelt, while also succeeding in delivering an amusing commentary on unchecked capitalism, the ethical conundrums of colonial conquests, and systemic corruption. Even though it can get quite heavy-handed in its political commentary, Mickey 17 might just be the type of movie we need right now, amidst all of the chaos.
