Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17, screened at Berlinale's Urania cinema, arrives with considerable anticipation, especially given the director's previous success with films like Parasite. However, this sci-fi offering, based on Edward Ashton's novel Mickey7, ultimately falls short, bogged down by superficial explorations of complex themes and a frustrating lack of cinematic storytelling.
The film's initial setup, depicting a near-future reality of dehumanization and casual cruelty, feels intentionally off-putting. While this world-building aims for a visceral impact, it quickly becomes tiresome. The narrative then shifts into a series of lengthy speeches, where the film's supposed ideas about colonization, human identity, governance, and corruption are laid bare in a manner akin to amateur middle-school debates. This reliance on dialogue rather than visual storytelling significantly weakens the film's impact.
Robert Pattinson, a talented actor, is unfortunately underutilized. While his performance is solid, it lacks the space to truly shine. Mark Ruffalo, on the other hand, comes across as pretentious and artificial, his presence more annoying than engaging. The female characters are relegated to mere mannequins, their potential completely wasted.
The central conflict between human personality and technological advancement concludes with a simplistic, Luddite-esque resolution, offering no genuine exploration or insight. Similarly, the secondary theme of colonization is reduced to a simplistic good-versus-evil narrative, flattening the complexities of the issue.
Mickey 17 ultimately suffers from a pervasive superficiality. It raises intriguing questions but fails to provide meaningful answers or even stimulate productive discussion. While fans of Korean cinema and Robert Pattinson may feel compelled to see it, others can safely skip this one.
