Academy Award-winning writer-director Bong Joon-ho has returned with his long-anticipated sci-fi comedy “Mickey 17” due to hit theaters across the United States on March 7. The Triangle was invited to an advance screening held at the Philadelphia Film Society, coinciding with its world premiere in London on Thursday, Feb. 13.
As a follow-up to the filmmaker’s international sensation “Parasite,” expectations were naturally riding high. “Mickey 17” lives up to them in every sense, delivering a unique dystopian sci-fi tale in Bong’s quintessential style. It spins a delightful yarn that melds disparate genres to tell a story that is wacky, thrilling and powerful in equal measure. Moreover, it unexpectedly holds immense relevance in today’s political scenario.
The premise focuses on Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), a young man who is in a tight spot on Earth and thus signs up to become an “expendable” on a newly-declared human colony called Niflheim. He is sent on life-threatening missions on the colony for research purposes, and the specialty of the job is that if he is killed in the process, his body is regenerated with his memories and personality supposedly intact. This quickly becomes a routine for Mickey, but things become complicated when he returns from a particularly dangerous mission only to find that he has already been cloned again.
This sets off an even more wildly chaotic series of events that throws Mickey’s life further off-balance and brings darker truths about the entire setup to the forefront. The narrative jumps between a slew of plot threads and characters at a quick pace, addressing a wide range of themes. A couple of these do end up a tad underexplored amid all of the chaos, with one occasionally wishing for even more time to be dedicated to the expansive world-building and philosophical questions that are raised. Despite this, Bong keeps a firm grip on his narrative, never losing sense of the rich thematic material and central character arcs that form the core of the film. It also helps that Mickey is an instantly likeable and compelling protagonist, with his quirky voiceover narration perfectly setting the tone and pulling the viewer in.
Another major contributor to the smooth flow of the narrative is Bong’s approach of lacing the entire story with dark humor. This choice wonderfully ties the various plot threads together to build a biting satire that also manages to find space for sillier bits of humor, consistently eliciting laughs in a manner that helps to build tension. This works wonders for both the entertainment quotient and the sociopolitical themes at the core of the film. The latter builds into an astonishingly relevant political allegory that ties in beautifully with the central character arcs, setting the emotional stakes high. In some of its core themes, the film even embodies the spirit of some of the most beloved works from Studio Ghibli by veteran filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, whom Bong has cited as an inspiration in the past.
The entire cast effortlessly slides into Bong’s ambitious vision. Pattinson sinks his teeth into the opportunity he gets to showcase his incredible acting range, acing his portrayal of Mickey. Naomi Ackie packs a serious punch with her performance as well, stealing the show in some major sequences with her confident attitude. Mark Ruffalo is another standout in how he carries an act that is tricky and hilarious at once, the genius of which would be impossible to explain without spoilers. Toni Collette is pitch-perfect in another role that requires remarkable control and self-awareness. Anamaria Vartolomei and Steven Yeun both shine in their relatively briefer presence as well by imbuing their characters with memorable personality. Even the actors portraying minor characters — even unnamed ones — completely understand the assignment, each maintaining the satirical tone with their terrific timing and demeanor. The dynamic interactions between all of these characters fill the narrative with immense kinetic energy, making it all the more compelling.
Bong also makes excellent use of the biggest budget he has had to work with till date, which is not just limited to the casting. The fantastic production design builds a unique dystopian world that feels fully-formed and believable, even to the aspects which are not given much verbal explanation. Moreover, the incredibly detailed CGI work not only builds spectacle but also goes a long way in serving the emotional core of the story.
“Mickey 17” is a film that has a hugely ambitious vision and does remarkable justice to it. Although it is arguably a tad overburdened by all of the ideas it aims to address, “Mickey 17” rises above this with aplomb to become a rollicking ride that delivers big laughs, edge-of-the-seat thrills and powerful political commentary in spades. It is a must-watch on the big screen and is thus undoubtedly something to look forward to when it opens nationwide in March.