It’s been six years since Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite took home four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and his unrelenting theme of class inequality takes center stage once again in his latest film, Mickey 17. The film is an adaptation of the novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton, though Bong made some changes to fit his vision of the story he wanted to tell. You may have noticed that the titles are different, which also shows some of the changes that were made, as in the film we begin with the seventeenth version of Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson).
Okay, that probably doesn’t make sense for those who know nothing about the film. Mickey 17 is about a man named Mickey Barnes who applies to be an “expendable” on an expedition to colonize the ice-planet Niflheim. His reasoning for doing so is to escape a loan shark who wants him and his friend, Timo (Steven Yeun) dead. While Timo was able to pull some strings and get a spot on the ship as a fighter pilot, Mickey has no real skills to speak of, so he went the expendable route without really reading the fine print.
In short, an expendable is someone who has their memories and likeness saved to a hard drive and are then sent out on extremely dangerous missions – including suicide missions – to gather data or help discover things for the betterment of those on the ship. In the event that the expendable dies on said mission, they are then printed out again via the controversial machine on board, with all their memories intact right up until they just died.
This is what Mickey has signed up for and during the four-year journey to Niflheim they sure did put him to use. When the film begins Mickey 17 has been left for dead on the ice planet’s surface. With the ship believing that Mickey 17 was killed they go ahead and print out Mickey 18, which is a jarring surprise to Mickey 17 when he arrives back home and finds his latest clone asleep in his bed. The real issue? Multiples are against the law and in the case that it ever happens then all clones and all their data is to be destroyed.
Mickey 17 has a lot going for it across the board. Let’s start behind the camera with Bong Joon Ho, as the film is beautiful, even with its purposeful lack of colour. His vision for the story and scenes within it even impressed Ahston, who felt that Bong brought certain scenes in his novel to life in a way that even he didn’t imagine. While there is CGI and green screens used in the film, there are also loads of fully constructed practical sets that allow those on board the ship to really interact with various aspects of it.
Bong has a unique way of shooting movies, as he creates fully fleshed out storyboards with every shot laid out prior so that any shot or any scene can be filmed whenever he sees fit. There’s also no need for an abundance of coverage, as he knows exactly what he wants and is able to get it because everything being shot is right there on the storyboards each day. At the same time, he’s also open to ideas from the actors and what they think may help a scene work in terms of characters.
Pattinson is the main attraction here, and Bong said that while he had written the character of Mickey in the script it was Pattinson who brought both 17 and 18 to life in the unique ways that he did. Mickey 17 has a simpler mindset and could be viewed as a bit of a doormat, as while it’s his job to do what he’s told – even if it results in his death – he allows those around him to view him as lesser than because of this. When 18 is introduced we see that he’s got a different outlook and toughness to his demeanor and attitude and won’t stand to be treated differently just because of what his job entails.
The class inequality is in full display here on the ship, as the expedition leader, the egomaniacal failed politician, Kenneth Marshal (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his devious wife, Ylfa (played by Toni Collette), view everyone else on the ship as peasants who they can control and order around as they see fit. Ruffalo’s inspiration for how he plays the role is clear and eerily spot-on for how things are playing out and would play out in this same scenario, and Bong’s ability to tap into the current climate and consistently hit the nail on the head is impressive. The only one who truly sees Mickey as a person is his girlfriend, Nasha (played wonderfully by Naomi Ackie), who he meets his first day aboard the ship.
This is a sci-fi film that’s full of dark humour, serious themes, action and heart. There are a lot of emotions that are touched upon over the two hours and 17 minutes we spend with Mickey, and not a moment of that time is wasted. This is one of those movies where the protagonist and ideas are so captivating that – while it’d probably backfire if they did it, in theory you do wish you could spend more time with them on their journey. It’s just a well-crafted film with a story that speaks to the world we live in and the current political climate that unfortunately looms over us all no matter where in the world you may be located.
Mickey 17 is the type of movie you bring up when someone says Hollywood has run out of ideas. I’ve always disliked that line of thinking, as it’s more what audiences go and see that helps studios decide what to make next. Sure it’d be great if we could get waves of new intellectual properties and unique ideas, but when tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent then all studios are really thinking about is, “what movie are we likely to see a return investment on the quickest?” and they go that route. Warner Bros. took a chance on Bong and Mickey 17, and while it didn’t perform as strongly at the box office as they would’ve liked, there’s always the long game. So with that in mind, do your part and check out Bong Joon Ho’s latest, as it’s well worth your time and the 4K is well worth the investment for those who may have already seen it and are looking for the best way to bring it home.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
One of Mickey 17’s strongest points it’s the vision Bong Joon Ho had and how it’s been brought to life in magnificent 4K. The 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer is top tier levels and shines through wonderfully in home entertainment centers that are built to showcase these films as best they can be at home. We’ve got CGI mixed in with practical sets seamlessly, and details popping out left and right, even if the world we’re watching is rather bland in its colour palette. The immersion that this high-quality 4K transfer allows truly brings the viewer along for the ride.
On the audio side of things Warner Bros. continues to deliver when it comes to Dolby Atmos that will rock your room when required, while also delivering subtle, softer surround sound throughout that, alongside the visuals, helps in the full-on immersion that you hope for when watching a movie like this in your home. The dialogue is clean, clear, front and center and never has to battle it out with the rest of what’s going on. All in all this is a one-two punch winner on both the video and audio side of things.
Special Features:
Behind the Lens: Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 – This feature comes in at just under 12-minutes in length and sees the cast and crew talking about working on the film, with Joon Ho talking about adapting it, Ashton talking about how impressed he is by Bong’s adaptation of his works, and all speak on the themes as well as Bong’s unique directing style. It’s one of those features that’s well-paced and lasts just long enough, but also leaves you wanting more because of how well it was put together.
Mickey 17: A World Reimagined – This featurette comes in at just under 10-minutes and sees most of the above return to talk about the world that was built for the film, how it was great to work on these crazy sets and bringing Bong’s vision to life.
The Faces of Niflheim – This is an 8-minute featurette that focuses on the main characters in the film, some of what into bringing them to life, how those playing them perceived their roles and so forth. Another quick yet solid featurette!
Trailers – We’ve also got two trailers for those who want to take a look at how it was advertised.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Mickey 17. Written & Directed by: Bong Joon Ho. Based on the Novel Mickey7 by: Edward Ashton. Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun. Running time: 137 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: May 13, 2025.
