Some movies have a way of hitting things right on the head, either intentionally or by happy accident. And such is the case in both regards in the latest offering from Oscar-winning writer-director Bong Joon Ho, a hilariously insightful sociopolitical sci-fi satire that knocks it out of the park in more ways than one can count. In an age of casual throw-away culture, “Mickey 17” takes this idea to an entirely new level by following the dubious exploits of the title character (Robert Pattinson), who works as an “expendable,” a human charged with determining just how lethal various new technologies and environmental conditions are in an off-world colony of the future. The ironic, questionable term for this profession is derived from the fact that its practitioners are considered wholly disposable in every sense of the word but are fully capable of being regenerated in full thanks to a form of digital human printing, allowing subsequent iterations of these beings to be created as often as needed. However, life isn’t quite so “simple and straightforward” for the Mickey expendable when he gets caught up in a series of complicated developments involving an illegal double, the whims of the maniacal cultist colony leader (Mark Ruffalo) and his self-absorbed wife (Toni Collette), the scheming of an unreliable, self-serving childhood friend (Steven Yeun), a relentless loan shark (Ian Hanmore) from his days back on Earth, and an aspiring romantic interest (Anamaria Vartolomei) who tries to get between Mickey and his girlfriend (Naomi Ackie), a passionate but badass security officer. The narrative’s various story threads blend well together (even if a few of them are a little stretched out or aren’t developed as fully as they might have been), but they collectively tell a well-integrated tale that generally keeps viewers riveted throughout. This captivating yarn is superbly supported by the picture’s inventive visuals, expert editing. and stellar performances, most notably Ruffalo, Collette, Ackie and the first-ever portrayal by Pattinson that I’ve actually liked. What makes this offering especially and somewhat inadvertently effective, however, is the timing of its release, which was originally scheduled for a year ago but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, a truly fortuitous blessing in disguise. Given current conditions in today’s turbulent sociopolitical climate, particularly the unpredictable leadership of one particular politician, “Mickey 17” couldn’t have debuted at a more pertinently appropriate time. (While I’ll spare the specifics here, let me just say that MAGA fans and evangelical conservatives probably won’t find this picture much to their liking.) In addition, the film deftly addresses a number of pressing social and cultural themes, such as how the average, everyday working class individual is looked upon and treated these days, the expendability question coming front and center. Some might see these attributes as somewhat heavy-handed or preachy, but then such “excesses” are the essence of good satire, and the filmmaker holds nothing back here. I’m also amazed that all of this was foreseen so far in advance of the emergence of current conditions, decidedly prescient and poignantly relevant in its insights. Indeed, this is genuinely a cinematic fable for our times – a rather scathing one, to be sure, but a damning fable nevertheless. Moreover, if this release is any indication of what 2025’s crop of new pictures will be like, I warmly welcome it given the awful movie year that has just passed. And, where “Mickey 17” is concerned, let’s hope that this all comes to pass – both on the big screen and otherwise.
