Berlinale 2025: Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ is Sharp Sci-Fi Wackiness
by Alex Billington
February 15, 2025
“You are an expendable! You are right here to be expended.” Maybe we should not think about any life as expendable. Bong Joon-ho’s long-awaited new science fiction film is lastly right here and at last able to be skilled. This huge finances, made-by-Hollywood sci-fi spectacle does not actually belong at movie festivals however hey I am going to let it slide as a result of it is value watching anyplace. Mickey 17 is Bong Joon-ho’s latest characteristic movie undertaking since profitable all of the Oscars with Parasite in 2019; it is tailored from the sci-fi novel titled “Mickey7” written by Edward Ashton. Bong upped the variety of Mickey clones from 7 to 17 only for enjoyable as a result of 7 wasn’t sufficient, so as to add in additional clones to this futuristic story. Bong Joon-ho’s different English-language science fiction film Snowpiercer performed on the 2014 Berlin Movie Competition (I used to be there, too – learn my authentic assessment) and now they’ve invited him again to the 2025 Berlin Movie Competition to display Mickey 17. There may be nothing “chaotic” about this film in any respect, it is sometimes wacky and funky and peculiar, however it’s nonetheless a pointy, streamlined story about clones. That is Bong Joon-ho’s Starship Troopers. It guidelines – and it is even higher than Snowpiercer.
Mickey 17 is written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, tailored straight from Edward Ashton’s ebook (he will get the second credit score ultimately credit simply after Bong). Robert Pattinson stars as Mickey Barnes, a no one child from Earth who decides to enroll to be an “expendable” on an area mission to colonize a brand new planet in hopes of escaping his debt and the mortgage sharks after him. Bong Joon-ho is a giant fan of creating anti-capitalist motion pictures (e.g. Parasite, Snowpiercer, Okja) and that is yet one more one which makes enjoyable of the fascist capitalist ideology, plus the wealthy schmucks who should rule over everybody, and the way in which capitalism makes most individuals expendable. Actually. Mickey’s physique and mind is scanned by this futuristic gadget that may reproduce copies of him on demand. He is cloned endlessly – they ship him out on harmful missions, when one thing dangerous occurs to him (something), they “reprint” one other copy of him, add his mind scan & reminiscences, and he is proper again out working one other day. The Mickey 17 title card drops on this story proper when there is a hiccup. The seventeenth model of Mickey does not precisely die, he makes it again to the ship alive, however they already reprinted the subsequent copy of him and so he encounters his duplicate. They seek advice from them as “multiples” – Pattinson performs each Mickey 17 & Mickey 18 as they run round and notice what’s going on and the way they’re being utilized by a psychotic, narcissistic politician / CEO named Kenneth Marshall – performed oh so completely by Mark Ruffalo.
This film is not an intricate, darkish, advanced thriller like Bong’s earlier movies set in South Korea, as an alternative it is a wacky, amusing, funky sci-fi story about clones & idiots & humanity’s carelessness. It actually jogs my memory of Starship Troopers in some ways in the way it creatively depicts the fascist methods that keep order amongst people whereas additionally providing up an especially entertaining story a couple of man attempting to determine his place in these methods. Mickey 17 is considerably rebellious, however on the similar time he is a bit too dumb to attempt to carry down the entire thing. Bong additionally references Okja and Hayao Miyazaki by introducing a cute, cuddly, insect-like creature they encounter on the ice planet referred to as Niflheim. This stuff look a lot just like the Ohmu bugs from Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and after an encounter with a few of them, Mickey 17 realizes they don’t seem to be precisely evil or harmful, they’re relatively peaceable and docile so long as they don’t seem to be underneath assault. Like most creatures on this planet, too. However after all additionally they do not just like the people who’re there to colonize this planet which is their house. These creatures play an integral half within the story within the second half, and humanity does not fairly perceive them (or wish to) – very like the “bugs” in Starship Troopers. There’s some intelligent commentary involving how Mickey interacts with them, however it’s largely simply Bong Joon-ho doing his common factor saying perhaps we should not hurt animals and immediately assume try and eradicate them. We should always learn how to peacefully coexist with them, much like the massive pig-cow issues in Okja, too.
Robert Pattinson continues to show how exceptionally inventive and versatile he’s all the time as an all-around actor taking up many terribly distinctive roles. His voice appearing on this film will certainly be talked about in each single assessment – some will hate it, some will like it – however I consider it is a formidable and distinct alternative that makes this film and his efficiency stand aside from all the things else. It is wacky – however wacky in the proper methods, particularly when you perceive that this shrill voice is definitely related to the character of Mickey 17, as a result of the entire clones have a novel voice. There are just a few different performers on this large ensemble solid that additionally stand out: Patsy Ferran as a younger scientist named Dorothy who additionally works on the spaceship, she’s great and charming in right here. Naomi Ackie as Mickey’s lover Nasha is superb, taking up this easy supporting position and turning it into one thing far more significant and highly effective. Michael Monroe as certainly one of Kenneth Marshall’s underlings is hilarious. After all each Mark Ruffalo and Steven Yeun are tremendous kooky and enjoyable of their respective roles. Bong as soon as once more reveals he is a grasp of ensemble performances, wrangling up this large solid of worldwide actors with each feeling distinctive & amusing. He is having enjoyable with this film, it is meant to be goofy, and clearly so is all the solid. They’re all in, too.
I’ll not have walked out of Mickey 17 feeling as excessive on cinema as I did strolling out of Parasite for the primary time at Cannes 2019. However the extra I let this film sit with me and the extra I mull it over, the extra its rising on me. I am already trying ahead to revisiting a lot of what occurs within the first half, it appears extremely rewatchable. I already wish to purchase a plushie model of the massive bug creatures on Niflheim. And I would like everybody to observe it simply because it is a good film that is additionally a really enjoyable film. It is a distinctive film that can also be solely entertaining, not too summary or complicated. Even when this is not one other Greatest Image winner like Parasite, I am more than pleased with Bong Joon-ho having enjoyable with this follow-up, taking part in round with a lot of Hollywood cash, telling one other anti-capitalist story about befriending creatures on one other planet.
Alex’s Berlinale 2024 Score: 9 out of 10
Observe Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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