Mickey 17 – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Mickey 17 – In the Stars of Life after Life … I See Double?!?

Thinking about the world becomes a thought about your place in it.  What is it that you aim to be?  A question of ponderance, it is one that pushes forward the idea of character, depth and perception.  This idea of ‘our place’ is one that can spark a creative thread, especially in the world of film.  As storytellers, if filmmakers can balance this question with an escape … then the journey can be an indelible thing.  In this review, I look at the latest Sci-Fi/Drama to hit the big screen.  In a trip of intuitive thought, it is a journey of grand ideas and lost details.  Even for its dragging moments, Mickey 17 is a tale of undeniable escape … but questions what it means to be alive. 

Looking for a new path in life, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) tackles a new line of work in outer space.  In choosing the unorthodox path, it becomes a journey that will change … all his lives forever.  When speaking about creativity, the idea of combining thought provoking material with irony can be a tall mountain to climb.  This daunting task pushes the wits of the filmmaker, trying to find a way to balance intent with entertainment.  Bong Joon Ho (Writer/Director) is a filmmaker who likes to push the idea of character drama through a twist of genre and unpredictability.  With this latest, he manages to provide his unique touch, with some flaws.  In the beginning, we come into this world through the drop-in method, finding Mickey about to fall ‘prey’ to an unknown creature.  From this point, the film moves backwards, building up the context of Mickey, why he decided to leave earth and embark on a new career as an expendable.  Through a series of colorful narrative moments (from Mickey), you learn that there is a group of people that have decided to leave Earth to find a new home.  Leading this expedition is failed Politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo).  After a series of expositional and unorthodox moments, we are introduced to a few other characters like Timo (Steven Yeun) and Nasha (Naomi Ackie) (you can refer to the IMdb page for the full list – link).  After the backtracking narration, we come back to the present where the recyclable nature of being an expendable and dealing with the ‘messiah like’ leader has construed Mickey’s own desires to live.  As we move forward from the monster encounter, we come to the major plot point of the journey: Mickey accidentally becoming a double.  From this point, the film heads into a linear journey where thematic appeal, Sci-Fi elements and character drama become an intuitive spill of strong moments in an overstuff narrative.  This leads to affluent scenes getting dragged by frenetic detail, a ‘back-and-forth’ of clashing tones where the audience feels lost in an unfocused perspective.  For all the greatness that comes with Patterson playing two characters and the superfluous thought of creativity, there is too much happening that the escape is derailed by a lack of narrative focus.

As the two Mickey’s are seeking a way for ‘both’ to survive, the moment of revelation drives both plot points into one.  This leads to the unfocused detail becoming somewhat focused, a catch 22 of the previous build-up for the sake of a character retrospective.  Even with the change, the subtleties of build-up fall into a rushed trap of convenience, leading to a third act where there is strong character and thematic moments (about life) pushed against the creative flaws of surrealism and fantasy.  As things finally come to head, it builds up the irony of all the convoluted details, leading to a climax that brings everything full circle.  This will have the audience ‘somewhat’ fulfilled in a feel-good epilogue.  Mickey 17 is a Sci-Fi/Drama that takes creative risks with mixed results.  If you are a fan of the director, fantasy, sci-fi or character like narratives, this is one for you.  I say there is enjoyment to be found, but for the right price. 

Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)