Mickey 17 is based on Edward Ashton’s book from 2022 called Mickey 7. The story is set in a bleak, futuristic world and follows the main character, Mickey Barnes (played by Robert Pattinson), who didn't read the details of his contract carefully when he signed up for a dangerous mission on another planet as an "Expendable". Because of this, he ends up in a very risky situation and realizes just how dangerous his job really is.
In a futuristic, dark, and stylish world, the story begins with Mickey and his friend Timo getting into big trouble after a failed business deal. Because they owe money to some very dangerous people who are after them, they have no choice but to join the crew of a spaceship going to a far-off place called Niflheim. Timo gets a good job as a shuttle pilot, but Mickey isn't so lucky and ends up with a much worse job.
Mickey's job as an Expendable means he's treated like a human guinea pig. The crew uses illegal technology to clone him over and over again, bringing back his memories each time. This allows them to send him into dangerous situations repeatedly, using him like a disposable tool to explore and handle risky tasks.
The beginning of the movie mainly follows Mickey as he goes through a series of unfortunate events, with a lot of background information about his life and the tough situations he’s dealing with. But things change when Mickey falls in love with Nasha, a security agent. This relationship adds more complexity and emotional depth to his story.
At the same time, Mickey's mission goes very wrong, and now there are two clones of him with different personalities on the spaceship. They get caught up in a complicated plot involving the crazy Captain Kenneth and some shady business activities. As the story goes on, the film explores big ideas like the conflict between the powerful and the oppressed, the effects of capitalism, and the tough moral questions about the future of humanity.
Even though the idea of the movie sounds interesting, Bong Joon-ho's way of making it is too obvious and doesn't leave much to the imagination. The film tells the audience exactly what to think, without any subtlety. This is especially clear in Ruffalo's over-the-top acting as Captain Kenneth, a character who clearly resembles Donald Trump.
I won't get into politics here because Mickey 17 already does that a lot. The movie's message is very obvious, with Kenneth's followers wearing red hats, acting crazy, and being shown as less smart than those who don't agree with Kenneth. This clear approach, meant to be funny, is weakened by the movie's uneven tone, which makes it less effective.
Basically, Mickey 17 has a hard time balancing between being funny and telling a serious story about a bleak future. It tries to be both humorous and adventurous, but doesn't do either very well. As a result, people who watch it either like its unusual mix or find it confusing and unclear.
In the rushed last part of the movie, several things are left unanswered. One big problem is with the clones. Even though they have the same memories and experiences, it's not clear why some are more aggressive than others. Another confusing point is that Pattinson's clone can remember dying before, even though the clones are only supposed to remember things before they died. Additionally, the idea of a 'superior race' related to the cloning project is mentioned but not explained, leaving viewers confused.
To be honest, the movie isn't very subtle or complex, and this problem also affects the characters. Many of them seem flat and simple, which makes the movie worse. Kenneth and his wife are examples of this—they are just evil for no real reason. Kenneth often depends on his wife, who is clearly the brains behind their plans. This lack of detailed character development makes the overall experience less enjoyable.
Throughout most of the movie, Nasha is just seen as Mickey's girlfriend, but at the end, she suddenly becomes a strong, independent character without much explanation or development. On the bright side, Mickey 17 looks amazing. The $180 million budget is clear in the beautiful icy scenery, great CGI effects, and detailed sets. Unfortunately, it seems like they didn't spend much of that budget on making the story better.
At the end of the day, Mickey 17 tries to be an interesting story set in a bleak future, but it's not exciting or clear enough to be anything more than a boring and messy movie. There's no reason to watch it again, and the repeated political messages just make it feel old and dull.