Movies

How Mickey 17’s biggest change wastes its most interesting aspect

BBG News

In the eagerly anticipated film by Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho, Robert Pattinson graces our screens once more – and this time, there are two of him! What’s not to adore about “Mickey 17”?

Initial feedback has labeled the science fiction movie as a “tremendous work,” and applauded Robert Pattinson’s double act. Some whispers suggest he might be a contender for next year’s award ceremonies, though it is worth noting that the Oscars have recently taken place.

Given that Mickey 17 is a new film, it’s understandable if you’re unsure of its plot if you’re considering watching it over the weekend as it might not be familiar to you yet.

We’ve gathered a comprehensive, go-to resource for the latest film, along with discussing the ways it alters the original narrative, which may not always be beneficial.

What is Mickey 17 about?

In the future, specifically the year 2054, Mickey 17 takes place as humans endeavor to establish settlements on far-off celestial bodies.

Mickey Barnes (played by Pattinson) isn’t your typical employee; he’s a disposable worker tasked with executing all risky operations during our mission to settle Niflheim, an icy planet. If something unfortunate happens and he perishes, his physical form is replaced and his memories are restored in the fresh body.

However, it turns out that Mickey survives despite the 17th model being involved in an accident. Upon his return to the ship, he finds that a newer version, Mickey 18, has already been produced – a rule prohibiting multiple copies is enforced.

If they’re discovered, the Mickeys will be erased… permanently.

Is Mickey 17 based on a book?

Absolutely, but please note that there isn’t a book titled “Mickey 17” in reality. The story you are referring to is actually “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton.

The film adaptation of the novel was officially announced prior to its publication in February 2022. Writer and director Bong Joon-ho finished writing the screenplay for the movie as early as September 2021, using a preliminary version of the book (as reported by The Korea Times)).

The explanation lies in the fact that while the core idea remains consistent across both stories, there are notable discrepancies. Specifically, in the book, only seven Mickeys have appeared, and the eighth one is a replica in the duplicate version of the story.

In an interview with POC Culture, Bong explained that while the idea of human printing in the novel was intriguing, he aimed to bring it closer to our everyday reality and make it more relatable and straightforward for our daily lives.

In the book, it tackles complex philosophical themes, yet I wished for a more relatable connection to everyday life.

As a gamer speaking about my project, “Mickey is the heart of this endeavor. In the book, he’s portrayed as an intellectual historian, but I envision him as a working-class guy with a touch of simplicity. He’s got a charm that borders on adorable, yet he’s also had his fair share of misfortunes. He’s kind to a fault and overly nice, often finding himself in sticky situations due to his good nature.

How Mickey 17’s biggest change wastes its most interesting aspect

In line with what was previously stated, the structure of Mickey 17 is quite similar to the original story. Finding himself heavily indebted to a menacing figure, Mickey decides to join a perilous expedition to Niflheim, with his closest friend Timo (previously known as Berto in the book), serving as an expendable crew member.

On Niflheim, Mickey 17 plummets through the ice, with Timo choosing not to intervene since he assumes Mickey will return safely. However, it’s the local creatures of Niflheim, known as Creepers by the crew, who end up rescuing Mickey 17. Upon his return to the ship, Mickey 18 has already been produced.

As twin gamers in our digital world, we constantly tread on eggshells around Commander Marshall, hiding the fact that we are one entity instead of two separate players. This secret battle we wage is a test of our gaming skills and our ability to keep our identity hidden.

In the faith of the group called Natalists, Marshall holds the view that expendables – individuals who he deems unworthy – do not possess souls, making them detestable in his eyes. Should he learn about the existence of two Mickeys, he would likely use this information as a justification to eliminate them.

In the film, the central figure, now known as Kenneth Marshall (originally Marshall), undergoes a significant transformation at the hands of director Bong. Instead of maintaining his role as a military commander, he is transformed into a power-seeking politician who yearns for Niflheim to become an ethereal, “pure white planet inhabited by elite beings.

Many viewers have drawn comparisons between the character of Marshall and the present U.S. President, Donald Trump, with some of his supporters donning red caps, however, director Bong clarifies that this is not intended to create an identical duplicate.

In response to queries from European reporters regarding [Marshall], it appears that the global landscape mirrors this pattern. It seems people have tended to overlay their own unfavorable political encounters onto this film, which adds to its intrigue. This is one aspect of what makes movies fascinating, he shared with The Korea Times.

Transitioning into a political character undeniably renders “Mickey 17” more contemporary, and provides an opportunity to delve into the perspective of the 1%, regarding those they consider inferior. Regrettably, this shift in focus may divert attention away from the original Mickeys.

As the film progresses, it is Marshall’s strategy that takes center stage in the second part, overshadowing the intriguing philosophical question about whether the two Mickeys are one and the same individual or separate entities (similar to Trigger and his broom), or the potential peril of their presence on the ship.

A 369-page book provides ample room to delve deeply into various aspects of the world, compared to a two-hour movie. Regrettably, it seems we don’t find much detail about Mickeys undermining each other or the ongoing daily life during the colonization in it.

In the book, the characters named Mickeys agree to divide responsibilities, yet this also involves sharing scarce resources, such as food, though neither Mickey consistently follows the arrangement. At moments, it resembles a struggle for survival, but set in outer space.

The film briefly references this element from the book and includes its distinctive three-way scene. Nevertheless, the narrative soon shifts to Marshall’s strategy for handling the Creepers, along with an additional criminal storyline involving Timo, which is not present in the original work.

Despite Bong’s talent for capturing the absurd, his portrayal inadvertently reduces Mickeys to mere game pieces instead of the dynamic characters they are in the original book. This issue is partially addressed during the climax, which maintains the book’s essence albeit a different sequence of events, but unfortunately, “Mickey 17” seems to lose some momentum in its latter half.

If you haven’t had a chance to dive into the book “Mickey7“, you might not fully grasp the issue at hand. However, it remains a daring, humorous, and peculiar science fiction spectacle, boasting two outstanding, unique performances from Robert Pattinson. Despite some plot complications, it’s worth a read or watch.

But if Mickey 17 has got you keen to explore more, then Mickey7 is a must-read.

Mickey 17 is out now in cinemas.

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2025-03-07 10:23

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