MICKEY 17

US, 2025, 137 minutes, Colour.

Robert Pattinson, Stephen Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Tony Collette, Naomi Ackie, Patsy Ferran, Holliday Grainger, Daniel Henshell, Thomas Turgoose.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho.

There were high expectations for Mickey 17. Korean director, Bong Joon Ho, has had a prominent career since the 1990s, range of genre films including The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer and his Oscars, including best film, for Parasite. Here he is taken on an American story, and has treated it both seriously and satirically.

It is 2054, much of a muchness like the present in some ways, Mickey and his friend Tivo trying to raise money from a loan shark to start a business, failure, and the violent aggression of the loan shark. But, in this future, there is space exploration and the setting up of planets. There is also a great deal of scientific experimentation – including processes to create multiples of human beings, living, dying, and then being printed out again, identified with successive numbers. The morality of this process is being questioned.

Enter one of those evangelical church leaders, Kenneth Marshall, played with satiric zest and prominent teeth by Mark Ruffalo – aided and abetted by his smiling but domineering wife, played by Toni Collette. Marshall disapproves of the process but agrees that in some ways it could be useful, that the government should set up an expedition on a new planet, four a half years travel there, and set up a process for multiples, but only one at a time. And, with the succession of multiples, they are also described as “expendables”.

But we are also introduced to Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson enjoying his role. On the new planet, out scouting, he falls down a hole, is menaced by some strange creatures, wondering whether they are animals or aliens, not rescued by his colleague, but, saved, in fact by the creatures. Which gives him the opportunity to give a resume of his original life as Mickey Barnes, and the visual succession of all the numbers between one and 17. But, when he is presumed lost killed, Mickey 18 is printed out, Pattinson again, quite a different personality, tough, determined, rebellious…

And there is a range of characters on the planet, the scientists generally kowtowing to Marshall, young Dorothy being an exception and stepping in to help Mickey 17.  Marshall has his sycophantic assistant, a yes-man, pandering to all Marshal’s exorcist whims, especially in organised religious television programs for the subservience staff on the planet. His wife is always there, but is experimenting with making sauces! In the meantime, there is an officer, Nasha (Naomie Acker) who is in a relationship with Mickey 17.

We can all this go? The capturing of one of the creatures and killing it, and holding a baby to ransom over a furnace. The two Mickeys confronting each other, Nasha and her coping with each of them, Tivo now involved in drug dealing and threats from the loan shark on earth.

There is a solution but, as with most of the film, not always predictable, always some surprises, some satire, some parody – especially with Kenneth Marshall and his final vanity in confronting the aliens.

The original book, by William Ashton, was published in 2022 and the film began production during the Biden era. But, released in the early days of the Trump era, many audiences will be making links! One reviewer noted that Bong Joon Ho was taking the Mickey out of the United States. Yes!

1. Science fiction? Science fantasy? Political fantasy? Space exploration and development? Humanity issues? Moral issues? Philosophical issues?
2. The career of the director, films in Korea, range, science fiction, Oscars for Parasite?
3. The credibility of the plot, situation on Earth, 2054, ordinary life, Mickey and Vito and their plans, finance, the loan shark, the threats? But the political developments, scientific experimentation, production of multiple persons, moral issues, political? The intervention of Kenneth Marshall, support of his wife? His speech, the panel listening, agreement, setting up the centre on the planet? Moral issues, only one multiple?
4. The visuals of the planet, wintry, the spring season, the centre, interiors, rooms, laboratories, meeting room, television programming? The musical score? Songs?
5. The prologue, Mickey, the confrontation with the creatures, falling down, Vito and his taunts, no help? Setting up an atmosphere?
6. Mickey, Robert Pattinson’s performance, as 17 and 18, his background on Earth, volunteering, is recounting the various stages of his life, further printing after deaths, the range of deaths, the range of personalities, situations, experimentation and testing? His relationship with Nash and her support? Mickey 17, in the snow, the story of his acceptance by the creatures, communication with them, the rescue? And discovering that Mickey 18 had been produced?
7. Mickey 18, the different personality, strong minded, confrontational? Encountering 17, their interactions, the episode with Nash, the drugs, sexual encounters? The building up of tension? Especially towards Kenneth Marshall? The agent and her discovery of 17, the attraction, the confrontations with Nasha?
8. Kenneth Marshall, the religious background, the church, his moral stances, vanity and position, relationship with his wife, her advice, domineering? His ambitions, the plan, the multiples, overcoming his moral scruples? His ambitions for success? His manner, his teeth, speech, presiding at meetings, his assistant as flattering him all the time, his interactions with the lab managers, their subservience to him? His wife, her manner, the cooking, the sources?
9. The confrontation with the aliens, the taking of the baby, the shooting, one creature destroyed? The massing of the aliens, the leader? 17 and his ability to communicate? The work on the translation device? Dorothy, her work, personality, helping the Mickey’s?
10. Marshall, his plan, discovering the two, the explosive device to destroy each of them? The flatterers, television, his going out, the speech before destroying them, his continued vanity? His wife waiting at the studio watching?
11. The Mickey’s, the previous clashes, the fights, 17 to fall down into the furnace, saved? With Nasha? Her confrontation with Marshall? Strong-minded?
12. The contact with the aliens, 17 and his communication, Marshall discovering this, the upset? The aliens and then manoeuvres, massing to conceal the leader, then dispersing, the confusion? The condition of the return of the baby threatened over the furnace? Nasha having to hold the baby’s rope in her mouth?
13. The plan is to fire, Marshall unable to give his speech, the explosions, his death? The aliens, the return of the baby? Possibilities for peace?
14. Six months later, Spring, the assembly, Mickey 18 sacrificing himself for the explosion, 17 and his presence, Nasha and her speech, the flashback and his memories during her speech, then his pressing of the detonator to destroy the multiples machine?
15. The banning of multiples? The machine, Marshall’s wife, her reproducing her husband? She being a multiple?
16. The tone of the film, comic and serious, satiric, some parodies, especially Marshall in the Trump era, but issues of science, humanity, ethics, philosophy?