Review: "MICKEY 17" is Wacky, Withering and Awesome

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 of 2025 (No. 2030) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mickey 17 (2025)

Running time:  137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPA – R for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material

DIRECTOR:  Bong Joon Ho

WRITER: Bong Joon Ho (based on the novel by Edward Ashton)

PRODUCERS:  Bong Joon Ho, Dooho Choi, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Darius Khondji (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Jinmo Yang

COMPOSER:  Jung Jae-il

SCI-FI/DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring:  Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Daniel Henshall, Anamaria Vartolomei, Ellen Robertson, Michael Monroe, Patsy Ferran, Cameron Britton, Ian Hanmore, Jude Mack, and Stephen Park

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Mickey 17 is an imaginative science fiction film and futuristic drama that is also a savage social critique of modern times. It is one of the best films of 2025

-- The film has the aesthetics of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson, and of the work of the late French comic book author, Jean “Moebius” Giraud, but it movies like an American political comedy

-- The film has some standout performances from Naomie Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette, but in a dual role, Robert Pattinson, in some ways, turns Mickey 17 into his own star vehicle

Mickey 17 is a 2025 satirical science fiction drama film from director Bong Joon Ho.  The film is a U.

S. and South Korean production.  It is based on the 2022 novel, Mickey7, written by author Edward Ashton.  Mickey 17 follows a man who joins a space colony as a “disposable worker,” which means that he is reprinted every time he dies or is killed.

Mickey 17 opens in the year 2054 AD.  Down on his luck young businessman, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), and his partner, Timo (Steven Yeun), borrow money from Darius Blank (Ian Hanmore), a murderous loan shark.  Unable to pay back the loan and needing to get away, Mickey and Timo join a spaceship crew headed to Plant Niflheim as space colonists.  Mickey gets the worse of the deal when he signs on an “Expendable.”  It is a job filled with extremely dangerous tasks that often lead to death.

Every time Mickey dies or is killed, his body is thrown into a fiery pit.  Various biological meat matter is run through a “cycler,” and Mickey is essentially cloned in a process called “Bodyprinting.”  Mickey's memories, having been digitized, are inserted into the newly reprinted Mickey.  During the voyage, Mickey falls in love with Nasha Barridge (Naomie Ackie), an all-in-one elite security agent on the ship.  Each time, one Mickey is killed, Nasha loyally loves the next Mickey.

After arriving on Niflheim, more experimentation leads to more dead Mickey's until there is “Mickey 17.”  During some reconnaissance, there is an accident, and Mickey 17 is believed to be dead.  However, he is miraculously rescued in the most unexpected way.  Now, returning to the ship, Mickey must face off with Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), the head of the expedition, who has sinister designs on Niflheim, and his boorish wife, Ilfa (Toni Collette).  He must also solve the mystery of the planet's inhabitants, which the humans call “creepers.”  Oh, and Mickey 17 has to deal with a surprising yet familiar newcomer.

I thought director Bong Joon Ho's 2013 South Korean film, Snowpiercer, was one of the best films released in the U.S. in 2014.  I have yet to see his Oscar-winning film, Parasite (2019), but I was determined to see Mickey 17.  Like Snowpiercer, Mickey 17 is a black comedy, but make no mistake.  Mikey 17 is also a withering social critique of our modern world.  From a society of have-nothings and have-everythings to a technocracy that uses people as disposable commodities, Mickey 17 skewers the current plutocracy and oligarchies.  Mickey 17 holds a mirror to our modern world in which people are dehumanized on the alter of the material and technological pursuits of the powerful.  

Mickey 17 reminds me of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson (1997's The Fifth Element), and of the art of the late French comic book artist, Jean “Moebius” Giraud.  Still, its breezy character drama and witty comedy feel like American entertainment, especially the way it skewers the film's villain, the thoroughly American Kenneth Marshall.  As Marshall, Mark Ruffalo delivers a scathing send-up of whom else – our lumbering, drug-addled, egomaniac President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.  I don't know if Bong Joon Ho wanted Ruffalo to play the character that way, but Ruffalo portrayal of a power-mad, racist, religious fake is both breathtaking and also a testament to his skills as an actor.

I don't want to skimp on praising the film's other stars.  Naomie Ackie is a ball of energy as Nasha, and she grabs her time in the spotlight.  Toni Collette is an acting treasure, and she delivers another great character performance – of course.

Still, let's be honest.  Robert Pattinson – handsome Robert Pattinson – is a very talented actor, and he is a true movie star.  The more I watched this film, the more I realized that Mickey 17 is essentially a Robert Pattinson star vehicle.  There is nothing wrong with that, but Pattinson also delivers a performance that defines the film's themes of identity, independence, and empathy, as well as bring the story along as it delves into the nature of self and consciousness.

I can see why Mickey 17 did not perform well with theatrical audiences and with some critics.  The film requires the viewer to wait almost an hour as it establishes its characters and settings before delivering the hook in the plot that reels the viewer into the heart of this daring and sometimes absurd film.  Its mix of social sci-fi, black comedy, and satire is another example of Bong Joon Ho showing how he deftly blends genres and sub-genres into incomparable cinematic art.  Mickey 17 is one of 2025's best films, and it rewards audience patience without an outstanding entertainment experience.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 9th to 15th, 2025 - UPDATE #8

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The American Cinema Editors announced the winners at the 2025 ACE Eddie Awards.  "Emilia Perez," "Wicked," and "The Wild Robot" won the top awards.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The Mayor of Miami Beach wants to cancel a theater for showing the Oscar-winning documentary, "No Other Land." The arthouse theater, "O Cinema," is located at Old City Hall, a property owned by Miami Beach. Mayor Steven Meiner wants the city commission to terminate the theater's lease agreement, as well as cancel $40,000 in grants provided to the nonprofit that operates the theater.

DISNEY - From THR:  When it comes to Disney's "Snow White" and its rollout of the film, Disney is just ready to get this over with.

From Variety:  Disney is scaling back the red carpet at the March 15th premiere of its film, "Snow White," due to controversies involving its stars, Rachel Zegler ("Snow White") and Gal Gadot ("Evil Queen").

AMAZON - From Variety:  Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground production company is in talks to produce a biopic about champion professional golfer, Tiger Woods, for Amazon MGM Studios.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix is producing a new adaptation of Stephen King's 1981 horror novel, "Cujo," about a rabid (and possible possessed) dog.  The book was first adapted into film in 1983.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/7 to 3/9/2025 Louisiana Comic Con weekend box office is Warner Bros' "Mickey 17" with an estimated take of 19.1 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor John Goodman was injured on the UK set of Alejandro Alejandro Inarritu's new film. Goodman received medical treatment and filming will resume next week following Goodman's full recovery.

From Variety:  The next movie in the "Resident Evil" film franchise will be entitled, "Resident Evil."  It will be written and directed by Zach Cregger ("Barbarian").  Sony Pictures will release the film under the "Columbia Pictures" banner on September 18, 2026.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 10th, 2022 - Update #21

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix and one of its biggest content providers, Warner Bros. Discovery, may be head for a streaming war due to the unhappiness of the latter's CEO David Zaslav.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Scream 6" cast member Melissa Barrera says that the upcoming horror flick is "100 times gorier" than any previous entry in the franchise.

SCANDAL - From EW:  Grammy Award winning recording artist, Celine Dion, has revealed that she has a rare neurological disorder, "stiff-person syndrome," that will leave her rigid and suffering spasms in her torso and limbs.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Jennifer Lawrence says that the biggest reaction to her being cast in "The Hunger Games" was "how much weight is she going to lose."

MOVIES - From Variety:  There is a first-look image of Robert Pattinson in Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho's ("Parasite") next film "Mickey 17.  The film is not due until March 29, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Robert Downey, Jr. talks about "Sr.," a Netflix documentary film about his late father, the filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Disgraced Oscar-winning film producer and former studio executive, Harvey Weinstein, has abnormal testicles, as they reside in his inner thighs.  That and more tidbits from his rape trial in Los Angeles.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 12/2 to 12/4/2022 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with an estimated take of 17.5 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SPORTS - From Deadline:  Soccer great and sometimes actor, Pele, has reportedly entered end-of-life care in Brazilian hospital.

CANNES - From Variety:  Pedro Almodovar says his "queer Western" short film, "Strange Way of Life" will debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.  The film stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Indiana Jones 5 has a title, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," and the film has its first trailer.  It features a de-aged Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Peter Dinklage is among the voice cast added to "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which is due June 9, 2023.

AVATAR - From THR:  Director James Cameron talks about "Avatar: The Way of Water," the "Avatar" franchise, and more in a wide-ranging interview.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two-time "Best Director" Oscar winner, Ang Lee, will direct a Bruce Lee biopic with Ang's son, Mason Lee, playing martial arts film legend.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Television and film actress, Kirstie Alley, has died at the age of 71, Monday, December 5, 2022.  Alley rose to fame as "Rebecca Howe" on the former NBC sitcom, "Cheers," from 1987-93, a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series."  She originated the role of "Saavik" in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," and she also appeared in three "Look Who's Talking" films.

From Variety:   Actor, singer, musician, recording artist, and children's book author, Bob McGrath, has died at the age of 90, Sunday, December 4, 2022.  McGrath played one of the original human characters, "Bob Johnson," on the long-running PBS education series, "Sesame Streeet."  McGrath played Bob Johnson from 1969 until 2016.

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AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

Review: "Snowpiercer" is Unique and Thrilling

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Snowpiercer (2013)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  South Korea
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and drug content
DIRECTOR:  Bong Joon Ho
WRITERS: Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson; from a screen story by Joon-ho Bong (based on the comic book,  Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette)
PRODUCERS:  Tae-sung Jeong, Wonjo Jeong, Miky Lee, Tae-hun Lee, Steven Nam, and Chan-wook Park
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kyung-pyo Hong
EDITORS:  Steve M. Choe and Changju Kim
COMPOSER:  Marco Beltrami

SCI-FI/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring:  Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Tilda Swinton, Ko Asung, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ewen Bremner, Vlad Ivanov, Marcanthonee Jon Reis, Emma Levie, Allison Pill, and Ed Harris

Snowpiercer is a 2013 South Korean science fiction film from director Bong Joon Ho.  The film is based on a series of French graphic novels that began in 1982 with the first book, Le Transperceneige (Snowpiercer).  Snowpiercer the movie takes place on a class strife-ridden train that is the only home of the last humans alive on Earth.

At the beginning of Snowpiercer, we learn that humans made an attempt to halt global warming by spraying the chemical, CW-7, into the atmosphere.  That backfired, and the result was the start of an ice age so severe that almost all life on Earth was destroyed.

The only human survivors are now living in Snowpiercer, a massive train that travels on a globe-spanning train track.  However, a rigid class system pervades Snowpiercer with the elites living in the front of the train; people useful to the elites occupying in the middle; and the utterly poor and destitute inhabiting the tail of the train.

In the year 2031, the tail inhabitants prepare to launch another rebellion against the elites.  Although past rebellions have failed, this new rebellion may have finally found the one man who can lead the poor people to the very front door of Wilford (Ed Harris), the creator of the train.  This new leader's name is Curtis Everett (Chris Evans), and he has a plan to get past Snowpiercer's security system and its armed guards.  In order for his plan to work, however, Curt must rely on Nam Kung Min Soo (Song Kang Ho), a drug addict who doesn't speak a word of English, and also on his kooky daughter, Yona (Ko Asung).

Snowpiercer is one of the best films of 2014.  Everything about it is high-quality, especially its beautiful cinematography and its production design, which is both imaginative and inventive.  Considering the narrow spaces with which production designer Ondrej Nekvasil had to work, he managed to recreate a diverse cross section of modern humanity's interior living environments in a way that is almost too impressive for words.

The ensemble cast is also excellent, with Tilda Swinton delivering a splendid performance as Mason.  This is a character that is so odd that anyone other than a highly-talented and skilled actor would fumble.  My favorite performance, however, is that of Chris Evans as Curtis Everett.

Evans began his rise as a movie star by showing his ability to be funny or to deliver light comic flourishes whenever a film in which he appeared desperately needed some genuine humor.  He was often the saving grace of 20th Century Fox's 2005-2007 Fantastic Four film franchise.  Evans then showed that he could be an action movie star in Marvel Studio's Captain America films by bring dramatic heft and gravitas to both Captain America films and to Marvel's The Avengers, in which he also appeared as Captain America.

In Snowpiercer, Evans puts a lock on leading man status.  He looks like a leader, and, in this performance, he carries and embodies this film's social commentary in Curtis Everett's physicality and his emotions, and especially in his spirit.  Evans leaves no doubt that he is not only the real deal as a movie star, but also as an actor.

Co-writer and director Bong Joon Ho (or Joon-ho Bong) gives Snowpiercer visual scope, creating a big picture in a setting that is both intimate and claustrophobic.  Bong shows that science fiction can be more than just imaginative and speculative about the future.  It can and should speak to the modern condition; the genre wants to be more than just escapism.  I still wish that Snowpiercer had spent more time with more of its amazing cast of characters.  That does not keep me from declaring that this is a unique science fiction film because its themes and ideas are both non-fiction and important.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, February 24, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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