Robert Pattinson leads bleak but hilarious space romp ‘Mickey 17’

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Robert Pattinson as Mickey 18, left, and Mickey 17 in a scene from “Mickey 17.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Whether the current discourse on space exploration brings forth optimism or desperation, one cannot dismiss the fact that the concept has left the realm of science fiction and lodged itself into the future possibilities of humankind. Consider the mild shock I experienced when I saw a book discussing space as the final economic frontier. Hold up: it’s one thing when billionaires fantasize about the opportunities and limitations of space exploration, but it’s another thing when social scientists hypothesize about outer space capitalism.

Bong Joon-ho’s latest feature is an absurdist satirical take on modern capitalism set in a space colonial expedition where he explores the human condition under an extreme capitalist workplace with his trademark dark humor and genre-bending sensibilities. Based on the Edward Ashton novel, “Mickey 7,” the film stars Robert Pattinson as the titular character. In a late-night chatfest, Bong cheekily explained the numerical difference between the book and film titles: “The number indicates the number of times he dies. I had to kill him ten more times. But it is not a serial killer movie.”

Pattinson continues to expand his outstanding résumé of challenging roles with his latest character. He reached deep into his bag and, in full transformation mode, created the ultimate human doormat. Despite finding himself on the warpath of a sadistic loan shark because of his close friend Timo (Steve Yeun), he still lets him make decisions. Ever the treacherous charmer, Timo persuades him to volunteer in a space colonial expedition to the snow planet of Niflheim led by an unscrupulous politician and his wife (Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette). Members of the expedition team are required to choose a job, and true to form, Mickey picked “Expendable.” Essentially, his job is to die for humankind.

READ: Mark Ruffalo raves about Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette in ‘Mickey 17’

Essential to the film is a visual presentation of the dehumanization of an “Expendable” in a place that sees him more as a replaceable utensil than an actual human. Compared to the rest of the passengers, including the soldiers and the scientists, an expendable is fitted in uniforms with scant protection and in colors and fabrics as sparse, dull, and utilitarian as the Spaceship. It is not a coincidence that the color of the uniform blends and almost disappears with its surroundings. The duties and responsibilities of an Expendable are an assortment of hazardous work, including, but not limited to, a human shield for soldiers and a human lab rat for scientists. In case he dies on the job, his corpse is tossed into a vat of heated bio-soup and reprocessed in the Human Printer. At this point, it’s clear that the film abandoned subtleties to tell us our job is killing us.

Speaking of “abandoned subtleties,” Mark Ruffalo is Donald Trump. Well, no. In an interview, Bong noted that people from different countries project “the most stressful political leader” onto his character. Sure, but Ruffalo, as Marshall, also sports a deep fake tan, a clownishly long red tie, and an incredibly familiar voice inflection. He also has cult-like supporters who wear red hats. I choked on a popcorn kernel when his followers did a Nazi-like salute. The personal suite of the Marshall couple is an ostentatious manifestation of riches and power compared to the functional design of the rest of the Spaceship. While the rest of the crew follow strict rules, such as caloric intake limitation and intercourse prohibition, the Marshalls are free of restrictions—a space expedition led by a conjugal dictatorship.

Mark Ruffalo in a scene with Toni Collette in Robert Pattinson-starrer “‘Mickey 17’.” Image: Warner Bros. Pictures.

The authoritarian sheen of Marshall lost its luster when the expedition met the Creepers. The Creepers, imagine a herd of colossal tardigrades, are native creatures that have evolved to survive the hostile conditions of Niflheim. Once the Creepers surrounded the Spaceship (there’s a specific reason, but no spoilers), Marshall quickly ordered mass extermination. Well, we know how this ended for (most but not all) real-life dictators—foolish, fascist, and doomed to failure.

While not at par with his finest films like “Memories of Murder” and “The Host”, Bong Joon-ho’s latest is easily his best English-language film so far. It’s fun to see a major filmmaker, whose last film “Parasite” was a major critical and commercial success, return to form and deliver a science-fiction romp about the parallels of capitalism and fascism. As the credits rolled, I wrote: “Lesson: Your president is a dictator, and your boss might be one too.”