Leave it to filmmaker Bong Joon Ho to take a wild sci-fi premise and turn it into something equal parts thrilling, hilarious and self-aware.
“Mickey 17” isn’t your typical existential, brooding space drama. It fully embraces the absurdity of its concept and runs with it. The result? A refreshingly offbeat and darkly funny sci-fi experience that somehow manages to balance big ideas with even bigger laughs.
The film follows Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, an “expendable” worker on a barely functioning colony planet. His job? Completing ridiculously dangerous tasks that will almost certainly kill him. But no need to worry; every time he dies, a new clone pops out, memories intact, ready to go. While this setup could easily lean into heavy themes of mortality and identity — and sure, they’re in there — “Mickey 17″ takes a different approach.
Instead of drowning in existential dread, it leans into the sheer absurdity of the situation. Watching Mickey slowly realize just how little his crew values him — and how casually they accept his constant deaths — makes for some of the funniest moments in the film. Think Harold Ramis’ “Groundhog Day” meets Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” but with workplace incompetence and a lot more existential frustration.
Pattinson is the perfect choice for this role, effortlessly blending dry wit, exasperation and just the right amount of unhinged energy. At this point, Pattinson has proven himself as one of the most versatile actors out there, and in “Mickey 17,” he masterly walks the line between comedy and the film’s darker undertones. Watching him interact with other versions of himself? Comedy gold. Each successive Mickey gets more fed up and Pattinson plays it perfectly, making the whole thing even funnier.
One of the film’s best running gags is Mickey’s growing irritation with the crew’s complete indifference to his well-being. Every time he dies and comes back, their response is basically, ‘Oh, cool, you’re back. Anyway, go fix that thing again.’ It’s sci-fi meets bureaucratic nightmare, and Pattinson’s increasingly exasperated expressions alone are worth the price of admission.
Mark Ruffalo’s role is absolutely hilarious as Kenneth Marshall, Mickey’s oblivious and condescending space leader — basically every overbearing, clueless boss you’ve ever had but with control over an entire space mission. And the way he plays it? Full of exaggerated bravado, nonsensical decision-making and an inflated sense of self-importance. He talks in vague, overconfident statements, refuses to take responsibility for anything going wrong and constantly undermines his own team — all while insisting he’s doing an amazing job.
“At a time when so many sci-fi films either take themselves way too seriously or get lost in convoluted plots, ‘Mickey 17’ is a breath of fresh air. It’s weird, it’s funny and it’s just an all-around great time. Joon Ho once again proves he’s a master of blending genres, delivering a movie that’s both high-concept sci-fi and laugh-out-loud comedy.”
Watching Kenneth try to maintain authority over a situation that’s spiraling out of control — while barely acknowledging Mickey’s repeated deaths — is comedy perfection. His interactions with Pattinson are some of the best moments in the movie, full of ridiculous workplace disputes over, you know, the ethics of constantly dying.
And then there’s Toni Collette as Ylfa, who is, unsurprisingly, outstandingly funny. She brings her signature sharp comedic timing, making every scene she’s in even better.
Visually, “Mickey 17″ is stunning but not in the sleek, polished way most futuristic films go for. Joon Ho creates a world that’s messy, chaotic and full of weird, absurd little details — more corporate outpost barely holding it together than high-tech space station. Think “The Office” meets deep-space survival and cloning technology. The clunky machinery, the grimy corridors, the general feeling that no one quite knows what they’re doing — it all adds to the film’s charm.
The cinematography and effects perfectly match the film’s playful-yet-immersive tone. Joon Ho’s visual storytelling is as sharp as ever, making every frame interesting, whether he’s using dynamic camera work or playing with perspective when multiple Mickeys are on screen.
One of the best things about “Mickey 17″ is that it never takes itself too seriously, but it also does not play into the too self-aware movie type that constantly winks at the audience. It acknowledges the ridiculousness of its premise while still making you invest in the story. Instead of making fun of sci-fi tropes, it has fun with them.
At a time when so many sci-fi films either take themselves way too seriously or get lost in convoluted plots, “Mickey 17″ is a breath of fresh air. It’s weird, it’s funny and it’s just an all-around great time. Joon Ho once again proves he’s a master of blending genres, delivering a movie that’s both high-concept sci-fi and laugh-out-loud comedy.
With an exasperated — and hilarious — Robert Pattinson, a delightfully unhinged Mark Ruffalo and a world that feels like “2001: A Space Odyssey” if it had a sense of humor, “Mickey 17″ is a must-watch. Whether you’re here for the satire, the action or just to see Pattinson argue with himself, this is a sci-fi movie that knows exactly what it’s doing, and that’s exactly why it works so well.
Reach Gigi Young at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
