Mickey 17 Review: Ackie and Pattinson Shine In Worthy Adaptation of Mickey 7 Novel
- Alex Schlerf
- Mar 12
- 5 min read
Following his Oscar-Winning film Parasite in 2019, director Bong Joon Ho finally returns to the silver screen with his next film: Mickey 17.
Synopsis:
"Adapted from the novel 'Mickey7' by Edward Ashton, this stars Robert Pattinson as an "expendable" - a disposable crew member on a space mission, selected for dangerous tasks because he can be renewed if his body dies, with his memories largely intact. With one regeneration, though, things go very wrong. (via IMDb)
Cast:
Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collete, Anamaria Vartolomei
Release Date:
In Theaters Now
Positives
Mickey 17 is at its absolute best when it leans on the amazing chemistry of Ackie and Pattinson. These two are just at the very top of their game throughout the entirety of the film, which couldn't have been easy considering the nature of the plot. Pattinson has to deal with playing many versions of the same person, making them nuanced and actually stand apart even though they all look the exact same. For most of the film we focus on two versions of Mickey, 17 and 18, with Pattinson giving each of them very distinct mannerisms that makes it very easy for the audience to see who's who. 18 starts off with malicious intent but eventually becomes focused and confident, whereas 17 is basically the exact opposite. As crazy as it seems, Pattinson is able to make both of these versions of Mickey very large protagonists who you really are rooting for by the end of the film. It's really a testament to his acting range that he's able to anchor the film while playing two roles that are basically polar opposites even when looking the exact same.
On the other hand, I can't imagine it was any easier for Ackie having to work with a scene partner in Pattinson that was constantly shifting personality. Even beyond that, her charisma as Nasha really makes the film what it is. One of my favorite parts of 'Mickey 7' was how ride-or-die Nasha was for Mickey, defending him at every turn and even being there practically every time he died. I'm so glad that Joon Ho decided to really lean into this in Mickey 17, because the chemistry between the two is easily the best part of the film. Ackie's character is not simply there to show love to Mickey, but as someone who genuinely wants to portray her confidence over anyone that tries to stand in her way. This is prevalent in a lot of her interactions with Vartolomei, who plays Kai, where she won't let her fellow crewmate gain any leverage over her (even when Kai does, in fact, have that leverage). Ackie is a true star in the making and she shines every time she's on screen in Mickey 17.
As expected, Bong Joon Ho obviously does a great job with his direction and storytelling. There's always an underlying narrative about current society in his films, and we'll get to more of that in the next section, which is somewhat refreshing when it's not going too far over the top. This film is in no way as in depth in terms of the themes as a film like Parasite, but I didn't mind seeing Joon Ho venture a little into comedy with Mickey 17. I thought the comedy was much better than I expected going in to the film, knowing that the comedy in the novel is very vulgar and I wasn't totally sure if it was something they'd adapt into the movie. I really respect that Joon Ho didn't pull any punches in that case, as the comedy was very in line with the book and would've felt off without the ridiculous scenarios that Mickey 17 engages in throughout the first hour or so. The actual origin and background of the mission to the planet of Niflheim was slimmed down a lot for this film, which I thought was a very strong choice by the filmmakers involved here. That whole origin got very complicated and confusing in the novel, so I appreciated the narrative of "if people on Earth continue to screw with the planet, this is what will happen".
Lastly, I really think this was a worthy adaptation to Edward Ashton's amazing novel. I always get worried when there's a book that I really enjoyed and I hear it's getting adapted into a movie (Project Hail Mary, I'm looking at you next), but everyone involved in making Mickey 17 did a great job of respecting the source material while still telling their own story. There were a few small things that were changed that didn't really bother me at all and the general core of the story is still there.
Negatives
Overall, I had a really good time with Mickey 17, so I really don't have many negatives. However, my one main problem lied in both Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of "Marshall" and Toni Collete's "Ylfa".
Now, I understand that there was a clear political narrative being told here. I'm not going to delve too deep into that, obviously, but that wasn't really the problem I had with their characters. I think Ruffalo trying to channel certain political leaders makes sense in our current climate and I understand what Bong Joon Ho is trying to do there. The problem does not lie within the narrative, it lies with the characters themselves. Honestly, just in general, to me both of them were unfunny and just dragged down whatever scenes they were in. In the first couple scenes that we meet Marshall, Ruffalo got me a few times, but eventually the act got old super fast and I was just sick of him by the end of the film. It's kind of an issue when the comedic relief characters are not making you laugh.
It's a bit strange because Ruffalo portrays Marshall in a way that is really not too similar to the book version of the character at all. In the book Marshall is not nearly as over the top as Ruffalo acts him out and he's not really gained a cult following as he does in the film. All the television show shenanigans were all added as new pieces of material for the film adaptation. Now, I'm rating this movie on how good it was on its own and not how similar it is to the book, but I just think the version of Marshall that we see in the novel is vastly better than Ruffalo's version. I understand there was that political narrative being told there, but that shouldn't mean that Ruffalo's character is just unbearable as the movie goes on.
The even stranger part is that Collete's character wasn't even in the novel at all. I figure that they added her because of the changes to Marshall, as her role in the film appears to be to tame Marshall down whenever he gets too hot headed. However, that serving as her character arc is kind of pointless and honestly this film could've been improved in quality if she wasn't even in it at all. It's not a knock on Collete at all, she's doing a good job with what she's given. I just wish her character was less one-dimensional and maybe actually written in a funny way.
The pacing of this film didn't bother me as much as others, but it was somewhat prevalent as an issue for the first 30 minutes or so. Pattinson's narration is broken up into too many pieces and it hurts a viewer without the knowledge of the source material.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Mickey 17 is a really fun blend of comedy, occasional action and heart. The two leads in Pattinson/Ackie shine, the humor is well done in most portions and it serves as a great adaptation of the source material. Go see this movie!
Rating: 4/5 Stars
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