Mickey 17 4K UHD Review
“Mickey 17” is a respectable, but uneven Bong Joon Ho Film.
Based on the novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton, “Mickey 17” is a 2025 sci-fi/dark comedy/political satire all rolled into one. The story begins on Earth where Mickey and his pal Timo are looking to escape loan sharks by hitching a ride on a spaceship. The destination: The ice planet Niflheim. The 4 year mission: Eventual colonization. Mickey signs up to be an expendable (a job which no one wants). The dangerous process involves cloned bodies with reprinted memories. As the title suggests, there ends up being 17 versions (or perhaps more?) so let’s just say Mickey dies. A lot. In his new life, Mickey becomes a lab rat for numerous things, falls for security guard Nasha, encounters another version of himself (which is illegal), and becomes a guinea pig in meeting the local creatures known as The Creepers. The mission leaders (Kenneth Marshall and his wife Ylfa) end up being the real villains as they value their own selfish desires over the lives of others including the life on the planet Niflheim.
After “Parasite” won Best Picture, writer/director Bong Joon Ho followed up his masterpiece with his first American film which happens to be a big budget sci-fi film titled “Mickey 17.” The original film is nothing if not ambitious. It takes aim at modern politics and political figures and it explores themes about class, corporatization and colonialism. Of course, social commentary and satire is something that has been prevalent in Bong Joon Ho’s films so it’s not surprising to see him go down that route again.
As ambitious as the film is, the end result comes across as bold, risky, but a bit unwieldy. The sluggish pacing, the oddball humor, and the numerous ideas being bandied make the story feel frequently overstuffed. There’s enough ideas here to fill two to three movies and, as such, not all of the concepts balance out. The big swing by Bong Joon Ho is admirable to be sure, but it’s a tad messy for its own good.
On the plus side, the world building is fantastic. Again, even though certain elements could have been explored more, you certainly bear witness to a true visual artist at work. The world Bong Joon Ho has created is immensely detailed and strange, but it’s fantastic to see so many big physical sets and not just CGI imagery.
Outside of Bong Joon Ho, the real reason the movie grabs you at all is Robert Pattinson. The actor shines in multiple roles here. The in demand actor continues to show off his range. It’s hard to believe this is the same actor that was in “Twilight” and “The Batman.” Pattinson is aided by a supremely talented cast featuring Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Colette and Ruffalo’s characters are on the cartoony side (that’s where a large portion of the oddball comedy comes into play), but they make it work.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Expect a pristine print with vibrant colors.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track is nothing short of lively.
Extras:
* Digital copy
* 2 theatrical trailers
* “Behind The Lens: Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17”- A general featurette on Bong Joon Ho’s vision and storytelling for this project. Interviews and behind-the-scenes footage are included.
* “Mickey 17: A World Reimagined” covers the sets, costumes, hair and makeup, and production design.
* “The Faces Of Niflheim” is all about the cast and characters.
No comments yet.
Share This Blog
Robert Ham
dmanderson
Andrea
nicklyons1
DVD Corner 
Leave a comment