Fiercely
original
filmmaking
from
a
director
whose
even
just
good
enough
attempt
fares
much
better
than
your
average
blockbusters,
observes
Mayur
Sanap.
Watching
an
auteur
filmmaker’s
work
is
to
know
what
to
expect
and
yet
be
pleasantly
surprised.
Post
his
Parasite
glory,
Bong
Joon-ho
returns
to
the
director’s
chair
for
Mickey
17,
which
has
all
his
signature
elements
ticking
the
right
boxes
for
a
deliciously
wacky
and
thought-provoking
comedy.
With
Robert
Pattinson
in
the
lead,
the
surprising
aspect
of
Mickey
17
is
that
its
socio-political
conscience
is
far
more
plain-spoken
than
any
of
Joon-ho’s
earlier
work.
And
even
though
the
message
is
yet
again
domineering
and
a
little
too
much
on
the
nose,
the
whole
enterprise
succeeds
as
an
entertaining
romp
that
also
provides
food
for
thought.
Set
in
the
distant
future,
Mickey
Barnes
(Pattinson)
assigns
himself
as
an
‘expendable
worker’
on
a
space
odyssey
that
aims
to
establish
a
human
colony
on
planet
Niflheim.
The
mission
is
governed
by
a
pompous
politician
Kenneth
Marshall
(Mark
Ruffalo)
and
his
brutish
wife
Ylfa
(Toni
Collette).
As
a
part
of
exploratory
research,
Mickey
is
treated
as
a
human
lab
rat
that
is
tasked
with
several
perilous
chores.
With
each
new
task
he
is
expected
to
die
only
to
be
regenerated
the
next
day
with
his
memories
and
personality
perfectly
updated
to
his
latest
iteration.
After
an
encounter
with
the
native
creatures
of
Nilfheim,
the
17th
version
of
Mickey
is
mistakenly
assumed
dead
and
replaced
with
a
new
clone,
Mickey
18.
The
previous
version
of
Mickey
makes
it
to
the
spaceship
and
comes
face
to
face
with
his
current
version.
As
per
the
rule,
only
one
version
of
an
expendable
may
exist
at
one
time
otherwise
they
will
be
executed.
The
Mickeys
fail
to
hide
their
truth
which
eventually
leads
to
a
chaotic
situation.
Based
on
Edward
Ashton’s
2022
novel
Mickey7,
there’s
enough
fodder
for
Bong
Joon-ho
to
render
a
biting
socio-political
satire
as
he
examines
topics
like
wealth,
race,
power,
social
class,
and
the
filmmaker’s
usual
sobering
observations
on
the
inhumanity
of
the
human
race.
All
this
while
demonstrating
his
unmistakable
style
and
humour
as
seen
in
Okja
and
the
Oscar-winning
2019
sensation
Parasite.
When
it
comes
to
its
social
allegory,
Mickey
17
also
has
flashes
of
Snowpiercer,
while
the
Niflheim
creatures
echo
the
monster
from
The
Host
and
the
snooty
Marshall
husband-wife
duo
feels
like
distant
relatives
of
Parasite‘s
rich
Park
family,
that’s
cut
off
from
the
reality.
Joon-ho
takes
time
to
build
up
the
drama
as
he
slowly
introduces
us
to
this
complex
world
with
some
long,
but
effective
bits
of
exposition.
The
drama
is
laced
with
interludes
of
humorous
situations
with
some
zippy
tonal
shifts
signature
to
Joon-ho.
Even
though
the
storytelling
and
themes
are
very
much
similar
to
his
earlier
work,
the
dystopian
satire
in
Mickey
17
feels
distinct
because
of
Joon-ho’s
relentless
pursuit
for
a
dead-pan,
dark
comedy.
The
story
moves
in
a
pretty
much
straightforward
manner,
but
that
one
big
giveaway
in
the
trailer
relating
to
the
Mickey
17/18
twist
greatly
impacts
the
excitement
while
watching
the
film.
Really,
the
marketing
campaigns
don’t
need
to
be
so
flippant
to
grab
our
attention!
Thankfully,
much
of
Mickey
17
is
still
very
entertaining
although
it
runs
on
mostly
predictable
beats
once
that
plot
twist
is
introduced.
Like
all
Bong
Joon-ho
productions,
this
film
too
largely
benefits
from
its
carefully
picked
ensemble
cast.
Mark
Ruffalo
relishes
the
chance
to
let
loose
as
a
megalomaniac
politician
and
he
is
perfectly
complimented
by
Joon-ho’s
frequent
collaborator
Toni
Collette
whose
character
is
pretty
much
the
side
B
of
her
demented
sociopath
from
Okja.
In
her
supporting
performance,
Naomi
Ackie
(of
Lady
Macbeth
fame)
gets
a
fantastic
monologue
towards
the
end
as
she
rebukes
Ruffalo’s
headman
and
his
tyrannical
ways.
She
also
shines
as
Mickey’s
love
interest
and
their
interaction
forms
one
particularly
tender
moment
when
she
asks
Mickey:
‘What’s
it
like
to
die?’
Pattinson
continues
to
leave
his
Twilight
boo-boo
far,
far
behind
and
amps
up
his
resume
with
yet
another
winning
performance.
The
actor
uses
his
squeaky
voice
and
slender
frame
to
great
effect
and
submits
himself
to
the
madcap
material
without
any
diffidence.
Watch
him
in
the
scene
when
he
vents
anger
on
the
meeker
Mickey
as
his
words
change
from
exasperation
to
rage
and
then
disappointment.
It’s
hilariously
awesome.
Mickey
17
doesn’t
break
much
new
ground
if
you
compare
it
with
Joon-ho’s
earlier
work
like
Memories
of
Murder
and
Snowpiercer
or
even
Parasite.
But
it
is
a
trip
absolutely
worth
taking
for
a
fiercely
original
piece
of
filmmaking
from
the
director
whose
even
just
good
enough
attempt
fares
much
better
than
your
average
blockbusters.
Do
not
miss.
Mickey
17
Review
Rediff
Rating:
