Just about since Bong Joon-ho gained three Academy Awards in 2020 for Parasite (together with Finest Image), film lovers have been excited to see what he does subsequent. In the end, his subsequent venture is hitting the 2025 film calendar quickly. Mickey 17 is an adaptation of the guide Mickey7 by Edward Ashton and stars Robert Pattinson because the titular expendable. The sci-fi darkish comedy has screened for critics, and first reactions are hitting social media. Let’s see what individuals suppose.
Earlier than we get to the critics, although, for these unfamiliar with the supply materials, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is a disposable clone employee residing on the human colony Niflheim. As an “expendable,” he takes on deadly jobs, together with his physique being regenerated after every loss of life. Issues go awry when Mickey 17 is wrongly presumed useless and Mickey 18 can be created. Emily Murray of GamesRadar says the movie feels particularly related in present instances, writing on X (Twitter):
Director Bong Joon Ho follows up Parasite with the zany Mickey 17 – an exhilarating, sudden sci-fi drama which feels extremely pressing to right now’s world. You’ll immediately fall for Robert Pattinson’s sensible efficiency, with Mark Ruffalo’s sleazy politician being a spotlight too.
Co-starring with Robert Pattinson are Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo within the position of a nasty dictator. The Nerds of Shade praises the entire performances in Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17, particularly that of Pattinson within the twin position. They write on X:
Director Bong does it once more! Mickey 17 is thoughts blowing, hilarious, and his most epic movie to this point! Bizarre, sensible, and great, with a stellar twin efficiency from Robert Pattinson, and sensible turns from Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo!
Liam Crowley of ScreenRant agrees that Mark Ruffalo shines on this cautionary story. Mickey 17 has even modified the way in which this critic thinks about being a human. The critic writes:
Mickey 17 is a chaotically charismatic, thought-provoking cautionary story. Pattinson will get really misplaced on this position + Ruffalo steals each scene. I want it was coated in additional conventional darkness, much less black comedy. Nonetheless, it left me w/ a brand new POV on humanity + morality.
Eli Johnson, senior author at POC Tradition, writes through Bluesky that the director — who additionally wrote the screenplay — supplies an excellent commentary that’s bolstered by its lead’s efficiency. Johnson says:
Humorous, surrealist & extremely sensible, Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 is a colourful commentary on classism, human nature & the cult of persona. Robert Pattinson delivers a nuanced efficiency, masterfully reworking into Mickey’s cut up personalities w/ charisma & ease.
John Nguyen of Nerd Reactor agrees Robert Pattinson is greater than able to pulling off each Mickey clones, however this critic thinks Bong Joon-ho may need missed a chance to increase the story towards the top. Nguyen writes:
Robert Pattinson is a blast to see enjoying totally different characters in Mickey 17. Nonetheless, I felt it was a misplaced alternative focusing the third act on the otherworldly threats as a substitute of seeing the drama of the Mickeys play out. I believe it might have labored higher as a sequence.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo additionally had a minor problem with Mickey 17, writing that the political actions really feel too actual to be enjoyable:
I actually favored most of Mickey 17. Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon-Ho collectively on this sci-fi world works nice. BUT – the film pivots to having very acquainted & apparent political parallels that undercut a lot of that, making it really feel too actual to be as enjoyable because it needs to be.
Matt Maytum of TotalFilm has no such points, pondering that the director is ready to strike the fitting chord between its satirical message and its eccentricities. In Maytum’s phrases:
I very a lot loved Mickey 17 – Director Bong skilfully balances the absurdity and satire with some good sci-fi world constructing, and Robert Pattinson is nice many instances over
BJ Colangelo of Slashfilm is on board with a lot of the reward the movie is receiving within the first social media reactions. The critic calls it “uncomfortably humorous” and poignant, saying it’s Bong Joon-ho’s greatest English-language movie to this point:
Bong Joon-ho has crafted one other masterpiece with Mickey 17, a deeply heartfelt and uncomfortably humorous musing on capitalism, colonization, and corruption with a elegant solid. It’s an ideal movie for our time, and Director Bong’s greatest English-language movie but.
CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg known as Mickey 17 “wacky sci-fi enjoyable” after seeing footage at CinemaCon, in order that on prime of those reactions ought to encourage optimism in anybody who’s learn the guide or just noticed Parasite and is trying ahead to the director’s subsequent film. Sadly the wait to see it isn’t fairly over but. Mickey 17 is about to hit theaters on Friday, March 7.