Mickey 17: A Visual Feast with an Identity Crisis
This was one of the most anticipated films of early 2025. With all the hype surrounding Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon-ho, I was just as eager to see it.
Lately, I haven’t been able to watch much, unfortunately. But this week, I finally watched Mickey 17, and I couldn’t wait to write this review.
So I’ll start off by saying: I didn’t love the movie. The timeline felt disorganized, it seemed like half the film was just an introduction, and it felt like it wasn't until an hour in that the actual plot starts. And the story’s universe wasn’t particularly innovative enough to justify such a long introduction. "Humanity has reached the point of universal discovery. We can clone humans, though it’s still frowned upon and morally questionable, so it’s only permitted on interplanetary voyages." It really doesn’t take an hour to explain the character’s story and its nuances to the audience.
I also felt the character's backstory was lacking a bit, but I may be wrong. The fact is, there are people who make life-changing decisions without thinking too much about it. So it’s plausible someone would sign up to be a human guinea pig , whose only job is to die, without fully understanding what they’re agreeing to… or even reading the fine print 😂
That said, I really enjoyed Robert Pattinson’s performance. He played both the “Good” and “Bad” Mickeys with skill, and all his death scenes were surprisingly light and entertaining. He was sincerely the best part of the movie, along with his female co-stars, Anamaria Vartolomei and Naomi Ackie. Mark Ruffalo's character annoyed me a bit, I didn't like or hate it, I was honestly just kind of fed up by it.
Overall, it's not a bad watch. The cinematography is great, the way they present the ship, the recycling pit, the human printer and the alien species, all these things are exceptionally well done, and the design artists deserve a "bravo" for the outstanding work.
The story, however, lacks depth and misses its mark, it never really builds to a strong moment, at least for me. It was somewhat enjoyable, but I wouldn’t watch it again.