Mickey 17 (2025) Dir: Bong Joon-ho
Instagram post:
This latest venture from popular South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho was one of my most anticipated films of the year, and I was extremely excited to get into a theatre and watch it. Early critical reception was positive, which certainly encouraged me, and I was able to go and see it almost immediately upon its release.
The film was fairly impressive visually. It wasn't 'Dune' levels of cinematography, but I found it pretty. I appreciated the quality of everything from the CGI, the set designs, the props, the costumes, and even the vehicle designs. It all looked good, and it all fit the film's aesthetic neatly. The creature designs felt very Miyazaki inspired, more on that later, although I did think they looked very good.
Yes, the anti-capitalist messaging was a little on the nose, but I thought it was done in an entertaining way, at least. America is an easy target, particularly with its political climate at the moment, but then, it's also one of the major markets for the film, so social commentary aimed towards that audience isn't exactly shocking. Was it preachy? A little. Was it bad? No.
The comedy won't work for everyone, but I for one really enjoyed it. I found myself laughing and/or smiling for pretty much the whole film. Some of it may have been extremely silly, but it really tickled my funny bone. There were honestly so many subtle or dry bits of humour that were just so funny for me. Not all of this humour will appeal to everyone, but it did to me.
The narrative had a lot going on, but I found myself enjoying the chaotic nature of it all. The storyline involving Stephen Yeun's character was a little odd, and the only real negative point for me, because it ended up being a distraction from the main arc. Speaking of which, there were clear links with this main arc to Miyazaki's 'Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind' narrative, which, while perhaps not creative, did work well, in my opinion.
Robert Patrinson was hilarious and very endearing with his unusual characters. He gave a very versatile performance, showcasing all sorts of different acting styles and such. I was particularly fond of his accent, which felt very quirky and memorable. Pattinson has cut out a place for himself among the premier actors today, and this was yet another highly enjoyable performance.
I was a little divided on Naomi Ackie initially, but she ultimately grew on me a fair amount. Her character seemed a little shallow, but I was happy to see that Ackie got to show more and more personality as the story progressed. I was impressed by the range of her acting too - particularly in regards to the levels of intensity that she was able to exhibit.
Stephen Yeun's character may have been pretty random, but his acting was, as usual, extremely enjoyable. He always makes whatever he's doing feel both incredibly smooth and incredibly believable. I just find Yeun so easy to watch - he's such a good hand. Part of me wishes his character had a little more screentime, because both Yeun and the man he was playing were so interesting to watch.
Mark Ruffalo channelled his inner absurdity in this extremely strange and funny antagonistic role. I loved his mocking portrayal of a delusional politician who may or may not resemble a certain real life politician. Admittedly, it was very heavy handed on the satire, but I still found it more amusing than not.
Toni Collette's performance was bizarre but hilarious. Her character was quite clearly a huge part of the film's satirical nature, and her work with Ruffalo was very out there, but very funny. Collette went on a wild ride with her character, going from odd to unhinged in the blink of an eye. It was very commendable to see the daftness of her acting, in that sense. She definitely stole the show at times.
Overall, whilst the messaging of this film is by no means subtle, I thought the entertainment factor of it was more than worth the preaching. It's one of the funniest films I've seen in a while, and really made me smile so much. It took it's absurd but meaningful story and wrapped it up in an interesting science fiction wrapper. I would definitely like to rewatch this one soon, to see if anything changes for me, or if I see anything new.
Comments