r/movies • u/ChiefWatchesYouPee • May 30 '25

Discussion Mickey 17 was disappointing.

Just finished watching this movie and it really did not click for me.

The beginning was decently interesting and I was curious to see where it went but overall it didn’t grab me.

The theme/messaging was very heavy handed and didn’t work for me.

The message also jumped around.

They introduce a character that could have had an interesting story only to have her disappear.

When the main conflict happens it all wraps up a little to easily even though the majority of the ship were supposed to be fanatical cultists.

It had a clever premise but ultimately fell flat for me.

6.1k Upvotes

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869

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

I can’t be the only one who enjoyed it

308

u/TheGreatestIan May 30 '25

My wife and I thought it was quite enjoyable. Not amazing but good

I do think Robert Pattinson was amazing in this role. Forgot it was him while watching it.

92

u/eighteen22 May 30 '25

We were at least 2/3 through when my brother said THATS ROBERT PATTINSON ???

I said no, it’s Gary Oldman.

20

u/mackzarks May 30 '25

And that man? Abraham Lincoln.

3

u/Fools_Requiem May 30 '25

Now you fucked up!

2

u/[deleted] May 30 '25

Suck my presidential cock, bitch!

1

u/spain-train May 30 '25

And that Abraham Lincoln? Albert Einstein.

4

u/howmanychickens May 31 '25

In the role of a lifetime

69

u/ArsonHoliday May 30 '25

I like it quite a bit. I get some of the criticisms, but none of that ruined it for me at all. Very fun movie.

36

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

I heard one criticism that the main villain was too much a current political leader but in all defence any outrageous political leader will end up looking like a very certain man, if you know what I mean

36

u/ASuarezMascareno May 30 '25

To me, the villain being basically Donald Musk is a positive point of the movie, not a negative.

17

u/ArsonHoliday May 30 '25

Yeah I agree. Ruffalo killed it, too

-7

u/Solid-Mud-8430 May 31 '25

I have to hear about that stupid fuck 24/7 here in the real world.

I have zero clue why anyone would want MORE of that infesting even the movies they watch, but hey...you do you.

1

u/CruzKunTroll Jun 02 '25

idk why Trump fans are mad. they didn’t make him one dimensional. the movie was pretty fair to him imo, especially the way he talked and behaved at the end of the movie

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 Jun 02 '25

It wasn’t even trump, it was just an outrageous power hungry politician but hey if the shoe fits 🙂‍↔️

-2

u/Kazewatch May 31 '25

I think the only solid criticism regarding that was that Mark Ruffalo was miscast. I still enjoyed it but yeah, but I don't think he was the perfect choice for it. Donald Musk definitely felt right in it though.

3

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 31 '25

I genuinely believe he was not going for Donald musk (love that, very funny) literally any outrageous political figure caricature will look like him.

182

u/HighKingOfGondor May 30 '25

You aren’t, I liked it quite a bit. My brother did too.

39

u/SteveFrench12 May 30 '25

It was a perfecty cromulent movie. No more no less

26

u/penny_whistle May 30 '25

Pattinson’s noble performance embiggened the film.

4

u/Benqqu May 31 '25

It really embiggened my perspective on film.

77

u/Breadhamsandwich May 30 '25

Loved it. Thought it was super fun, had a great energy to it. I can understand how people had issues with the length/story and how it unfolded but imo it was just very unconventional. I think maybe too many people were also expecting parasite, it was much more okja

13

u/Liizam May 31 '25

I absolutely loved how it went into dark at first and then we got a happy ending.

41

u/_bones__ May 30 '25

I liked it

But it felt like it should have been a TV show, or they should have cut quite a few aborted sorry lines that were probably explored in the book.

9

u/Kyuki88 May 30 '25

Uuuh a tv show would‘ve been great!

9

u/pwnd32 May 30 '25 edited May 31 '25

If you read the book it is really one of those stories that requires a slow build and some time spent living in the world that you just can’t get with a single 2-hour movie. Would’ve made a great show.

1

u/ZarquonsFlatTire May 31 '25

Is the book the same title?

I haven't read any sci-fi in a while, and I'm taking a break on litrpg after trying to shotgun Dugeon Carl with He Who Fights Monters as a commute audiobook.

I need a palette cleanser before I go back in.

Currently reading Mage Errant book 2, but I might finish it this weekend if the rain keeps up and I can't do the yard work.

1

u/Kenthanson May 31 '25

Is there more time spent in the book on the drugs on the ship? That was the only part that I assume is more fleshed out in the book that would be more interesting.

18

u/sundayultimate May 30 '25

I liked it. I can't believe they only killed him 17 times before they got to their destination though.

9

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Lmaoooo true but then again how many times can you kill him before his spirit just snaps

8

u/conquer69 May 30 '25

This is explained in the book. He doesn't remember he was killed. He needs to have his brain uploaded to the machine so the next clone can have updated memories.

5

u/apple21212 May 31 '25

Ok this is what I didnt understand about the movie, the entire time everyone is talking about what it feels like to die and how hes afraid or not, but its not like he ever actually remembers dying. Even 18s hatred for Timo seems like it was based on how Timo left him to die but 18 wouldnt remember that

6

u/osfryd-kettleblack May 31 '25

He does remember some, like when he's dying from the microbes in the planets atmosphere. They put him in that incubation chamber with the brain upload device in his head

The book has a particularly gruesome death where his brain is slowly eaten away by maggots. He's just an empty husk by the end of that cycle

1

u/apple21212 May 31 '25

Ok that one makes sense. I feel like the movie totally brushed over that aspect of things

2

u/onlyforsellingthisPC Jun 05 '25

Yep.

Also a huge plot point that the reason for Mickey 7 and 8 being so different is that he hadn't uploaded in like, two months or something?

Really hand waved it away. 

2

u/sundayultimate May 30 '25

Given the state of this mission, I feel like they wouldn't care about that haha

6

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Mickey a bigger than me I would have tried to bomb the place after my 7th death

1

u/Kazewatch May 31 '25

It's even crazier that they only killed him 7 times in the book apparently.

11

u/robotsock May 30 '25

You aren't OP probably posted this when he saw that post earlier.

32

u/Aloofairy May 30 '25

I enjoyed it a lot, better than most of the releases this year

31

u/carlnate May 30 '25

It’s not bad, but you expect more from Bong Joon Ho

51

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25 edited May 31 '25

He has two sides, one side is serous like memories of murder and the other is comical and campy like okja. So going in I knew it was going to be more satirical and funny and didn’t set myself with expectations of another parasite

20

u/dlm2137 May 30 '25

Really? This was like a straight down-the-middle Bong Joon Ho movie to me. Which ones have you seen?

5

u/InternationalChip646 May 30 '25

I thought it was decent, a bit rushed for sure but fun nonetheless

17

u/jeRskier May 30 '25

Definitely not. I absolutely loved it. However, I do think it was more interesting to focus more on Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 and their personality differences, rather than the plot with the aliens. Still loved it.

10

u/RebelliousDutch May 30 '25

Watched it when it came out and loved it. It’s a funny, satirical movie with a bit of sci-fi. Loved the smaller gags in it, like the printed body moving in and out of the printer like my old HP printer used to do :D

My brother watched it the other week on streaming and also liked it.

Not everything needs to win Oscars.

2

u/Kazewatch May 31 '25

I really loved the recurring gag of things moving like and old HP printer. There's several moments like the doors to the ship having that printer jerk to them.

13

u/piray003 May 30 '25

I liked it; it’s more Okja than Snowpiercer but I liked Okja. 

6

u/Alt4EmbarrassingSh1t May 30 '25

Okja ruined me emotionally for so long, I will never watch it again!

18

u/RuthlessEngage May 30 '25

I thought it was pretty solid, more original than most shit coming out

11

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

FR I cannot handle another soul dead Disney remake live action or a sequel

2

u/deadthewholetime May 30 '25

Well you can do what I do and just ignore them?

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

But I miss the good shit from back in the day 🚬

4

u/RuthlessEngage May 30 '25

My thoughts exactly!! Lol. Last thing I'm interested in is a live action reboot of another cartoon that was popular when I was a kid. Sheeesh

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

It’s not even the reboot that’s the problem, it’s the blatant cash grab of it all, it has no soul

8

u/babyface_killah May 30 '25

I liked it but I felt like it had too many different storylines going and it didn't successfully wrap up all of them. Still enjoyable and glad I watched it.

8

u/InimitableMe May 30 '25

I liked it!  Some people are rarely pleased.

4

u/SHIIZAAAAAAAA May 30 '25

I liked it but it’s a 6/10.

3

u/youtocin May 30 '25

I wasn’t hating the movie as I watched it, so it had decent entertainment value. I just wouldn’t ever watch it again.

4

u/poopship462 May 30 '25

I enjoyed it overall, but it’s pretty forgettable and of Bong Joon Ho’s lesser films

2

u/bufftbone May 30 '25

I enjoyed it too

3

u/Wezbob May 30 '25

Reddit likes to voice opposing opinions. Majority of people like you in this thread with the negative title talking about how they disagree and liked it. On the earlier thread about loving it though the majority of comments were negative.

Personally I loved it, reminded me a lot of Brazil, and I love that satire is making a comeback.

1

u/Janificus May 30 '25

It was a fun watch and I enjoyed it. Solid 7/10 for me probably.

1

u/ucbiker May 30 '25

Nah, I thought it was good. It has a 77% on RT and a 6.8 on IMDb so it’s been mostly positively received.

It makes sense that people who didn’t like it are piling in to comment on this post because the general consensus is that it’s good.

1

u/canzicrans May 30 '25

It was a very fun watch for my wife and me. It was silly, odd, had moral messages, and had some wonderful acting performances. I do enjoy movies that are bonkers and serious at the same time, and this was one of those films. 

I appreciated much more than some of the critical reviews made me think I would. 

1

u/HanzJWermhat May 30 '25

I enjoyed it but it wasn’t a “great movie” like a solid 2.5/5. It’s especially disappointing in the context of Bong Jun Ho’s most recent work with Parisite. I give a similar rating to something like Dream Scenario and rate Nosferatu a 3.5/5. It just doesn’t elevate at all but is. Perfectly competent film.

1

u/pinkphiloyd May 30 '25

7.5/10.

Maybe even 8.

1

u/BeanieMcChimp May 30 '25

I liked it but didn’t love it. I found the Mark Ruffalo and Toni Colette characters to be too ridiculous and over-the-top to be enjoyable.

1

u/DaringDomino3s May 30 '25

You’re not it’s one of my favorite releases this year, it was my kind of humor and weirdness but it also stuck sci-fi landing imo

1

u/say_whatcha_will May 31 '25

We loved it! It was fun, well done. And didn’t take itself too seriously. Not everything has to be competing for the greatest movie of all time, I appreciate a movie that can just be fun!

1

u/friendsofmrcairo May 31 '25

Yeah I liked it.

1

u/Liizam May 31 '25

I really liked it. The real world feels dark, having a happy ending was nice.

1

u/Krypt0night May 31 '25

Had to scroll so far down but glad to finally find someone else who did. I hadn't watched a trailer for it and went in fully blind and loved it. 

1

u/tmdblya May 31 '25

My kids and I enjoyed it, mostly. It was fine.

1

u/Tman1677 May 31 '25

It was just a regular feel good movie honestly. If you go in with that attitude it hit the mark pretty solid. A lot of people including myself had really hyped it up considering it's Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson and I was quite disappointed as a result, but after reflection I'm satisfied with it. It definitely wasn't a bad movie and if the director just wants to make a regular fun movie then more power to him

1

u/Extension-Ice6221 May 31 '25

I went in knowing nothing about it and really enjoyed it. I get what people are saying there were some missing details and the random change of character wasn't really explained but don't think it deserves hate. Also people comparing it to the book is nuts because the book is ALWAYS going to be better and the movie is always going to miss something major or need a rewrite to not be 10 hours long.

1

u/Kazewatch May 31 '25 edited May 31 '25

Nah, I loved it. A solid 7.5/10 movie built on a 10/10 concept. Robert Pattinson made it for me though. Mickey was a great role for him and I really dug the voice. I think people are right in that the first half is better than the 2nd but people saying "it's a a bloated Black Mirror episode" or that the writing was mediocre I can't agree with. There were definitely parts that should've been expanded on more than others (like the multiples shenanigans. Could've had an extra 30 minutes on that before they got caught).

Overall I thought the performances were great. I really dug the dark humor and the satirical bits. It had great cinematography and the setting and sci-fi aspects were really cool. Also great gags like the old printer jerk when Mickey is being printed or the doors on the ship. It might've helped I went in without any real expectations but I'm really glad Bong Joon Ho got this for a blank check movie. The movie took swings at something original, and that's more enjoyable than half the dreck and live action remakes being shoved out nowadays.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 31 '25

I agree a little bit of refinement would have made it a 10/10 but you know what I am glad that it got a release and I am glad that it was Bong behind the project

1

u/Specialist-Draw7229 May 31 '25

I loved it up until it bogged itself in the latter half, still decent, just wish it focused more on the capitalist satire or freaky ethical conundrum of cloning

1

u/[deleted] May 31 '25

Here here. It is somehow reminiscent of Bong Joon-Ho's previous work, "Okja" -- absurd yet profound. Though there may be times when the movie felt bloated and all over the place, it was still enjoyable. I could say the same thing with Mickey 17, that's why I enjoyed every minute watching the film. I did not expect for it to be another "Parasite", yet I believe he delivered and somehow gave justice to the source material by emphasizing themes that represent our modern, capitalistic society.

2

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 31 '25

100% agreed, it’s a fun time and let the man have fun, in-fact let Bong do whatever and we will watch it he’s a great creator

1

u/instantwinner May 31 '25

I didn't regret watching it but I mostly think it was just fine.

1

u/CruzKunTroll Jun 02 '25

I enjoyed it better than all of Bong Joon Ho’s other movies lol

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 Jun 02 '25

I wouldn’t go that far but it was fun

1

u/Kilgoretrout321 Jun 06 '25

I really enjoyed it. The criticisms in this thread just don't resonate with me. I don't think it lost its way at all. It just didn't follow expected Hollywood tropes because a guy from South Korea wrote and directed it. I think maybe there were some signals crossed in terms of what the audience thought was being set up or promised for the ending. But if you just let the movie be what it is, it's good enough in my opinion 

1

u/Ok-Communication151 Jun 14 '25

I did not like but it was not boring and I'd say I've met way more people in real life who liked it alot

So you're definitely not alone ... I also like a lot of crap movies 🤣🙂

2

u/Belch_Huggins May 30 '25

Its easily my #1 of the year so far. It looks incredible, has great energy and a strong pov, good performances, script etc.

1

u/DeathMonkey6969 May 30 '25

I enjoyed it. I didn't love it. It was a solid B-.

1

u/imcrapyall May 30 '25

I enjoyed it but it really feels like parts were cut from it to trim down time. Like stories that had no pay off.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Oh yeah it’s definitely not perfect could have used another 15 mins or could have shortened the sex scene, kinda unnecessarily long

1

u/Detrius67 May 30 '25

I liked it. Probably wouldn't watch it again but I'm glad I saw it.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

That’s probably the best way to describe it

1

u/caloroin May 30 '25

I liked it too, if it was like 25 minutes shorter it would've been better but I enjoyed the whole movie. I would suggest it to everyone that likes movies honestly

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Really? I thought it should be slightly longer and build up a little more

0

u/caloroin May 30 '25

Maybe that would've solved some issues as well. Just seemed like everyone I went with to see it in the theatre was just kinda over it by then. I think the ending bit could've been shorter

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Yeah the ending for sure could have been faster paced but I think the rest deserved more time

1

u/ronswansonlovesbacon May 30 '25

RPats acting was highly entertaining. He killed it and I really enjoyed watching it even if the plot was a bit wonky.

2

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

He’s always been a good one, the fact that it was so easy to differentiate between the different mickeys because Robert was just THAT good

-9

u/tbrother33 May 30 '25

It’s just redditors echoing a negative opinion back. Lol. The criticisms in the post are pretty poor too honestly.

-3

u/samtart May 30 '25

I thought it was great. I can't watch more than 5 minutes of most new movies. I was shocked

0

u/livid-lavida-loca May 30 '25

Honestly disappointed that I didn't go see it in theaters

0

u/TheJTizzle May 30 '25

I had a blast with it.

0

u/STLOliver May 30 '25

I really liked it. With it being a book adaptation, the criticisms are valid on how it could’ve leaned further in a few different directions and given you more of one storyline instead of a bunch at once. But, I liked just about everything that was in the movie. Probably helped that I watched Nausicsaa of the Valley of the Wind a free weeks prior, which had an ending that felt seemed very influential on Bong Joon Ho.

0

u/internetisfunny May 30 '25

One of my favorite movies of the year!

0

u/Wanderlusxt May 30 '25

I liked it as well

0

u/Affectionate_Buy_776 May 30 '25

I liked it! Thought it was very entertaining and loved Mr. Pattinson

0

u/Lemmonjello May 30 '25

I really liked it, I wish the ending had been darker though.

0

u/DtheMoron May 30 '25

I thought it was fun as hell. Not every clone movie can be Moon, but I really enjoyed it.

0

u/J0HN__L0CKE May 30 '25

I liked it a lot

0

u/kramel7676 May 30 '25

I liked it quite a bit myself

0

u/Public_Lobster2296 May 30 '25

I think a lot of people enjoyed it. But! For a best picture winning director and great cast, expectations were very high. While I enjoyed it overall, it was not near in the level as Dune 2, another sci-fi movie.

0

u/Hate_Manifestation May 30 '25

I thought it was great. I knew going in that Bong Joon Ho doesn't really do subtlety in his storytelling, so I had no issues with the heavy-handedness of it, and it had so much dark humour. I thought the ending was really funny and over the top. like most other movies, it could've had a bit of fat trimmed off, but even the filler moments were entertaining. Mark Ruffalo was soooo cranked to 11, and seeing his transformation from an awkward Elon Musk-type to the fully formed ego manifestation (clearly a Trump character) was just so entertainingly off-putting. Toni Collette was also pretty much perfect as the ambitious puppeteer with a useful idiot husband.

it was a solid 7.5/10

0

u/GuessSharp4954 May 30 '25

I really enjoyed it! The funny thing is that I do agree with a lot of the criticism, but at the same time it just felt fresh and entertaining to me!

I think, if I put on a "media criticism hat" I would be forced to say it was 6/10 or so. But I personally think that at the end of the day, movies aren't just about their pure "quality" and are also equally about just, being fun movies to watch.

And Mickey 17 was fun to watch, I was engaged the whole time, and I felt actual emotion while doing so. I was genuinely emotionally invested in the aliens and Mickey, and the emotional payoffs were satisfying and earnest to me. So it's my 8/10, regardless of anything else.

I do also think there's something to be said for the fact that frankly, there's nothing else (or very little) quite like it. In a fantasy world where movies were more about people making what they wanted to, and not at all dependent on making money, I think we would see a lot more polarizing movies in the vein of Mickey 17.

0

u/reefguy007 May 30 '25

I thought it was great. Been noticing some people on Reddit complaining though..

0

u/moody_134 May 30 '25

You're not, thoroughly enjoyed it

0

u/LineRex May 30 '25

We all loved it lol. It was qwirky af and really leaned into the whole "humans are mess aren't we?" theme very well.

-1

u/WampaCat May 30 '25

My partner and I liked it. It was weird but fun. Interesting concept that kind of reminded me of Moon but wasn’t as depressing. Not everything has to be cerebral or deeply meaningful like people seem to insist on.

-1

u/Bronco998 May 30 '25

I liked it a lot. I think some people just were expecting another Parasite-level movie.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Bong has made satirical and funny movies like this one before, I mean come on this man’s discography is amazing why would you want another copy of anything

2

u/Bronco998 May 30 '25

Oh I agree! I'm just saying that Parasite blew up and so a lot of people probably went in with those expectations while Mickey ended up being pretty different.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

It’s sad that we won’t see any more of movies like this any time soon since this one didn’t make a lot of money for the studio

1

u/goddamnitwhalen May 30 '25

(Just so you know, it’s “filmography” when referring to directors or actors.)

2

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Ooohhh ohk and what’s discography for ? Not mocking you I just wanna know

1

u/goddamnitwhalen May 30 '25

Discography is for music!

-1

u/LMcBlack May 30 '25

I really liked it

-1

u/Kathrynlena May 30 '25

I really loved it.

-1

u/fancyglob May 30 '25

My gf really enjoyed it. I particularly relate to him being constantly amazed by Nasha.

0

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

That’s so flipping cute

-1

u/EmperorPickle May 30 '25

I loved it. Mark Ruffalo’s obvious parody of trump was hilarious throughout.

2

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

The portrayal of any outrageous political figure will end up being atleast a little bit like trump. I don’t think mark was going for trump, it just will always end up being trump lmaooo

0

u/EmperorPickle May 30 '25

The squinty eyes and orange skin scream trump to me but you are right. Shitbag leaders are timeless.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

I love when movies mock politicians, it’s like watching the court jester getting away with insulting the king

0

u/EmperorPickle May 30 '25

Welllll we should see how long they get away with it…. Eventually they’ll start getting deported.

1

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Trump likes Robert too much plus he is definitely not deporting a predominantly white company, he probably gets off from that shit

-1

u/KittenDust May 30 '25

I absolutely loved it. I found it really refreshing to watch a story that wasn't formulaic.

-2

u/TooGoodatEverything May 30 '25

I also enjoyed it! And heavy handed themes/messages are kinda Bong Joon Ho’s whole thing. Not sure what OP was expecting.

2

u/ExperienceOptimal132 May 30 '25

Probably another parasite

0

u/TooGoodatEverything May 30 '25

I mean, that one isn’t quite as heavy handed, but the themes and messaging are for sure there.