Mickey 17 is a futuristic film documenting the life of Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) through his fatal sacrifices in space, and it continues an exciting Bong Joon-ho trend. Mickey 17 is not Bong Joon-ho’s first entry into the dystopian science fiction genre, but it does break the director’s 23-year-old movie record regarding creating worlds set in the future. By the end of Mickey 17, the climax brings a surge of heightened stakes, and not a second of its two-hour and 17-minute length feels as though it is wasted. Early reviews for Mickey 17 have been favorable and commend Joon-ho’s innovative premise.

Bong Joon-ho’s movies encompᴀss a wide range of genres and often depart from the mold of traditional storytelling in Hollywood. The director has become known for taking risks in his vast body of work, which consequently resulted in Parasite becoming the first non-English-language movie to win Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. This makes him one of the most powerful cinematic voices in Hollywood, especially when it comes to sci-fi movies that have something to say about the present.

Mickey 17 Is Bong Joon-ho’s Second Futuristic Sci-Fi Movie

2013’s Snowpiercer Is Bong Joon-ho’s First Sci-Fi Venture

Mickey 17 is based on the 2022 novel by Edward Ashton, Mickey 7. Although the main story remains unaltered, it centers on Mickey Barnes becoming an Expendable for a space unit on the planet of Niflheim. Bong’s adaptation changes many of the wider plot details and original characters from the book. That being said, the film does engage in social commentary on capitalism, which creates some notable comparisons between Mickey 17 and Snowpiercer — his first sci-fi. The director’s latest film is an exploration of corporate practices that exploit workers and their financial hardships through the lens of a dystopian future.

On the other hand, Snowpiercer premiered in 2013 and was Bong’s first English-language film. Snowpiercer has a great deal in common with Mickey 17, presenting similar themes in the critique of capitalism. His first sci-fi has become a modern classic, sitting at an outstanding 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is also based on a graphic novel and follows Chris Evans’ тιтular character with a group of survivors, deserted on a train after an Ice Age decimates the planet. Snowpiercer had a modest budget compared to Mickey 17 but earned stronger reviews.

Mickey 17 Is Set Further In The Future Than Snowpiercer, Creating A New Bong Joon-ho Record

There Is A 23-Year Gap Between Snowpiercer And Mickey 17’s Designated Timelines

Interestingly, both of Bong Joon-ho’s science fiction movies toy with the concept of the futuristic treatment of mankind. Mickey 17 is only set 30 years ahead of where we are in the present day, despite Ashton’s original story being set much further ahead in the future. With that in mind, this major canon diversion was an intentional decision made by the director, who wanted to comment on the use of artificial intelligence, and show the importance of “the key concept of human printing [being] so futuristic and such advanced technology, but it’s actually quite familiar to us” (via Buzzfeed.)

Alternatively, Snowpiercer is only set 18 years ahead of the year it was released. After Earth becomes destroyed by the new ice age, Snowpiercer depicts the treatment of the last vestiges of humankind. The events of the film take place in the not-so-distant future, 2031, which officially makes Mickey 17 the furthest-set movie that Bong Joon-ho has ever made. Hopefully, it will not be his last sci-fi movie.

Source: Buzzfeed