In Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho takes something as big as the human cloning concept and takes away all of the glitz, glamour and excitement that we associate with sci-fi today and replaces it with a biting commentary on the corporate exploitation of individuals and the greed that drives capitalism.
Robert Pattinson absolutely kills it with an incredible dual performance as Mickey 17 and 18. Mickey 17 is a clone of a desperate man that has given up his life because he signed himself as an "Expendable" on a brutal ice planet. When Mickey 17 is able to survive what should have been a fatal mission and he meets Mickey 18, the story turns into an insane, darkly cynical game of survival.
The film's genius lies in the way it illustrates how we commodify human life:
Mickey's macabre slapstick nature shows the cold, bureaucratic routine with which he is killed over and over again and how this should be very disturbing to us, but at the same time, we cannot help but laugh at how ridiculous the whole situation is.
Mark Ruffalo does a phenomenal job of portraying an unhinged, authoritarian leader who serves as a perfect representation of the narcissistic leadership of many modern political leaders, and the complete lack of humanity in those people.
Mickey 17 is very entertaining; it is chaotic; it is organized; it is refreshing and will leave you wondering how much you would sell your own life for while you are laughing about the inevitable end of the world.
