South Korean director Bong Joon-ho sets the bar low with Mickey 17, a tepid sci-fi comedy about colonization and worker disposability, that completely falls short of his 2019 masterpiece Parasite. 

The film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a hapless man who escapes a loan shark by becoming an offworld “expendable” — a clone repeatedly resurrected through reprinting after many gruesome deaths on a spaceship bound for planetary colonization. Trouble begins when Mickey’s 17th iteration avoids death and must secretly coexist with his newly printed “multiple,” Mickey 18.

Mickey’s constant cloning and the terse rivalry between his 17th and 18th versions are the film’s most novel elements. It’s a shame they’re underexplored in favor of the merchandise-ready alien critters the cast discovers on Niflheim, the tundra planet they settle on. Called “creepers,” these gray, multi-legged creatures look like they belong in the background of the latest Star Wars movie.

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Much of the film’s visual style borrows heavily from modern Star Wars and Star Trek iterations. The ship’s interior is steeped in depressing blue-gray hues, while scenes on Niflheim are blindingly white. This is disappointing, given the film’s widely circulated promo image of Mickey emerging from the printer under electrifying neon blue light.

The Star Wars comparisons don’t stop there. When Mickey ventures out to make contact with the creepers, he resembles a Hoth trooper dressed by Uniqlo, complete with a massive gray winter cap and snow goggles. It’s plain and uninspired, especially considering the visual heights sci-fi has reached in recent years.

Naomi Ackie co-stars as Nasha Barridge, Mickey’s resilient girlfriend who stands by his side. She’s initially thrilled at the prospect of two Mickeys spicing up their relationship but soon finds herself defending him against Kenneth Marshall, the dim yet dangerous leader of the Niflheim expedition played by Mark Ruffalo, who insists all multiples must be permanently exterminated.

Ruffalo’s buffoonish performance as Marshall is the film’s most humorous, especially in conjunction with his wife, Ylfa played by Toni Collette, who constantly whispers in his ear to compensate for his idiocy and schemes to use the creepers’ tails to flavor her dinners.

Marshall is an obvious caricature of both President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, down to his reverent red-capped supporters. The Musk parody is spot on, nailing his hellbent lust for interplanetary colonization without concern for risks. The Trump portrayal as a humorous idiot, while amusing, feels stale in 2025.

Pattinson deserves special praise for his dual performance. Mickey 17 is meek and passive, while Mickey 18 is selfish and openly hostile. Despite looking identical, Pattinson plays each of them slightly differently, solely through the use of subtle facial expressions for audience members to tell them apart. It’s an incredible feat that reinforces his status as one of the best working actors.

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The film’s final message about Niflheim’s creeper population can be seen from a mile away and adds little to the long list of movies that promote acceptance of other species and anti-colonialism. The bloated runtime makes it worse — while some fun and interesting moments occur, there’s not enough to justify more than two hours.

Mickey 17 isn’t the next Parasite, but it’s silly and has some heart. Let’s hope Bong’s next film marks a return to form.