In 2022, the sci-fi novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton was published and received critical acclaim. Mickey 17 is the film adaptation of that novel, directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette. It is now showing in cinemas.

To escape a loan shark, a desperate Mickey and Timo sign up to be part of a spaceship crew heading to Planet Nilfheim to colonise it. Timo becomes a pilot, and Mickey becomes expendable. This role has him take on the most dangerous missions with a high chance of killing him, but every time he dies, he is simply reprinted with all his memories intact using cloning technology that’s been banned on Earth.

His missions have seen him be used to explore unknown areas to check for lifeforms, breathe the air to test if it’s toxic, perform dangerous tasks and more, and he has died every single time. In his latest mission to capture a native lifeform dubbed creepers and bring one back to be researched in the lab, Mickey finds himself trapped with more creepers approaching him. Timo finds him but leaves him there since he’ll be reprinted anyway.

Mickey awaits to be eaten but is saved by the creepers instead. Mickey returns to base and finds a copy of himself because everyone believed the 17th Mickey was dead and the 18th Mickey was already made to replace him. This complicates matters since multiples are forbidden, and one needs to be disposed of, but neither wants to go.

Robert Pattinson portrays Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, plus all the other 16 Mickeys before them. Despite being copies of the same person, they have vastly different personalities, with Mickey 17 being more timid and hesitant, while Mickey 18 is more cocky and arrogant. Pattinson puts in an entertaining dual performance, making it easy to tell the two Mickeys apart.

He’s best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series, and this film allows him to show his diverse acting range with a New York like accent that none of his previous roles have had. It clearly shows he’s making the most of this opportunity. The two Mickeys become a comedy duo throughout the film, even though a single actor plays them. They have a lot of funny moments together and with other characters, but also some heartfelt moments.

Naomi Ackie plays Nasha, the love interest of Mickey and every other Mickey. She also adds to the comedy, especially when she gets to have two Mickeys at the same time. Even though she’s become comfortable with always having a Mickey, no matter how many times he dies, she still deeply cares for each one, and the film does a great job exploring their relationship with how they met and why they connect.

Mickey’s friend from Earth, Timo is played by Steven Yeun. He doesn’t get as much screen time as other characters, but he does more than enough to show that he isn’t a great friend to Mickey. He also takes his being cloned for granted.

The film also stars Patsy Ferran as Dorothy, Holliday Grainger as Gemma, Anamaria Vartolomei as Kai Katz, Steve Park as Agent Zeke, and more, who all play supporting roles but all get to have their moments on screen.

The main antagonists are Kenneth and Ylfa Marshall, played by Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette respectively. They are a married couple and egomaniacal politicians with outlandish personalities. The way they carry themselves reflects certain real-world politicians today and their controversial policies, making them insufferable and easy to hate. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are both very likeable people in real life, so to see them play villains you can’t stand allows them to showcase their acting range.

Being a film adaptation of a novel, there are a few changes. Firstly, the book is titled Mickey7, and the movie is titled Mickey 17, meaning Mickey has died an extra 10 times before his latest mission. The added deaths add a lot to Mickey’s character and his mental state, as well as everyone taking his deaths for granted and not feeling much guilt.

The film version also has stronger political overtones, and Mickey 7 in the book is more of an intellectual and a historian than Mickey 17 in the film. Whether audiences prefer the book or movie versions is up to each individual, but either way, both tell entertaining stories with interesting concepts.

The film overall is well-paced for the most part, but certain parts can feel erratic, random, and over the top. These scenes feel like they happen just for the sake of it, and audiences might be unsure how to feel about them. Of course, some people will like it, and some people won’t.

The film’s set pieces and special effects all do a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. The colony’s interior has all sci-fi and futuristic aesthetics with a dirty grunge look for most areas, while Kenneth and Ylfa’s home is more clean and sleek. The majority of the film takes place on the fictional planet Nilfheim, which has a constant snowstorm, adding to the danger of Mickey’s latest mission. The snowstorm might feel like a way to put less effort into the CGI of the creepers’ designs, but it becomes part of their character, showing them in their natural habitat. The creepers up close have a lot of detail and look and feel like real living beings that could exist.

The film adaptation of the Mickey7 book does take a few liberties, but it keeps the same spirit as its book counterpart. Robert Pattinson’s dual performance is the film’s biggest highlight and allows him to showcase his diverse acting range as two characters that are unlike anything else he’s ever done. The story is engaging, with many interesting concepts, and the set pieces and special effects do an excellent job of creating a futuristic sci-fi world. The book has a sequel titled Antimatter Blues, but there hasn’t been any word on whether that will receive a film adaption, too. Until then, there is still a lot to enjoy in Mickey 17.

Written by: Sammy Hanson