Director: Bong Joon-ho
Actors: Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yuen,
Genre: Sci-Fi / Comedy
Rating: M
‘Mickey 17’ is a different type of interstellar sci-fi, as you’d expect from Joon-ho – we’re at some unspecified point in the future where humankind has the ability to travel to distance planets, as well as having the ability to back-up memories and 3D-print humans after the die. This is where Mickey (Pattinson) comes in, as he signs on to the colonisation attempt of the planet Niflheim as an “expendable”. The back-story in the first 30min of how he got to be on this distant planet is both funny and a little sad, but establishes Mickey (#17) as a naive but nice guy, in love with Nasha (Ackie).
The film’s score is always slightly mournful, ensuring that
we know the humour is a little dark or bleak. Especially when we see who is
leading the expedition – Marshall (Ruffalo) and Ylfa (Collette), who both appear
so fake, they come across exactly as delusional evangelical cultists. Ruffalo particularly
relishes the role, and perhaps has some fake teeth in? Good to see him having fun.
Timo (Yuen) is Mickey’s friend from earth, with a bit of a twist – but no where
near as many twists as ‘Parasite’.
Whilst not overly original, the film doesn’t waste any effort
in explain the unrealistic sci-fi components – it’s takes them as read,
assuming we’ve seen these tropes in plenty of other films before. The inhabitants
of Niflheim are an interesting flea/elephant/bison hybrid that seem semi-realistic,
but would’ve been interesting to see them as animatronic puppets & not CGI.
What’s most interesting is how you sometimes forget the different versions of
Mickey are the same actor – credit to Pattinson. Ending is a slight letdown.
Overall: Slightly different, semi-bleak space comedy
Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars
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