Bong Joon-ho is a filmmaker of immense vision and serious craft, whose work has made an indelible mark on cinema. That’s why Mickey 17 was one of my most anticipated films of the year. Unfortunately, it misses the mark in a number of areas, resulting in an overly-long, underwhelming and messy sci-fi dramedy. I tried so hard to love it and just couldn’t.
But first let’s start with the good, because there are admirable and well-executed elements in this film. First and foremost, Robert Pattinson continues to show the world he is one of his generation’s most gifted actors; fierce commitment and nuance creating two distinct characters is no easy feat. Joon-ho’s direction and cinematography are on point, while the raw ideas, both science fiction and political, are relevant and interesting. Joon-ho seems keen on creating his own “eat the rich” cinematic universe (ETRCU?).
But his focus on socioeconomic themes here, unlike Parasite, isn’t nearly as compelling; now choosing to lean much more into over-the-top absurdist humor that just doesn’t land. The biggest culprit of this weakness is Mark Ruffalo’s insufferable performance as the elitist villain who spits at the sight of the peasants beneath him. The intention of him going big here makes sense for the story and character, but you either need to be funny or menacing for it to be effective. Ruffalo was neither and was just plain annoying.
Speaking of the supporting cast, there are bright spots. Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Steven Yeun all deliver unique value within the chaos. Side note, I’m turning into a Steven Yeun super fan, he’s just so watchable. One particular aspect that I went back and forth on is Pattinson’s narration of the story, which is omnipresent; even more so than Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, if you can believe it. Its persistence was off-putting at first, then I got used to it and found it engaging, then evolved into fatigue.
All of these mixed elements of quality led to a long-drawn out third act that was the most unsatisfying section of the film. The world building of the first half engaged my interest quite a bit, but the big conclusion dragged on for way too long and pivoted from unique, elevated, grimy sci-fi to basic alien creature sci-fi; even though the intended themes of the powerful conquering the vulnerable remained. I was ready for it to be over, unfortunately.
All in all, I would say this is a disappointing Joon-ho endeavor, given what I know he’s capable of. I’m sure Mickey 17 will find its audience who will adore and admire the film’s weirdness and craft, but for me, it’s a letdown.
