Content warning: This article contains spoilers.

“What’s it feel like to die?” Only Mickey can answer this question as the lone “expendable” on a ship drifting through space. 

Coming off of his Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” Director Bong Joon-ho contributes even more to his past explorations of labor and economic power structures in “Mickey 17.” The brand new movie reads as a comedic yet tired commentary on the future of America and the dystopian reality that might be in store if there is not a change in trajectory.

Set 50 years into the future, “Mickey 17” follows a man named Mickey (Robert Pattinson), who works as an “expendable” on a spaceship headed to colonize a planet infested with animals the characters call “creepers.” As an “expendable,” Mickey must die to be reprinted using futuristic human cloning technology. Everything goes well until Mickey’s life is saved by “creepers” after being reprinted, illegally leaving two living Mickeys.

Many hilarious moments are dispersed across the first third of the film, including a montage showing how past Mickeys have died. All of these scenarios had the audience cackling, but especially during a scene in which a member of the ship explained in a deadpanned way to Mickey that he was exposed to an exorbitant amount of radiation.

But “Mickey 17” lacks a clear direction between the laughs and gags of its best moments. I had trouble pinning down a clear thematic purpose of the film and was left with a few threads of brilliance that never connected. A confused attempt to tackle key American issues, the film falls short due to its inability to focus on one of its many pieces of commentary.

Where “Mickey 17” begins to run into issues is in its convoluted attempt to address as many of this country’s current social issues as possible. First, Bong uses the idea of the “expendable” to satirize how far an organization will push its workers to achieve a profit or gain. If it was possible to increase productivity through death, those in power would kill you, he argues.

He also addresses imperialism through the lengths Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), the dictator of the spaceship, will go to rid the newfound planet of its natural inhabitants, the “creepers.” The character seems to allude to President Trump through singular mannerisms and callous inclinations, addressing the lack of awareness often exhibited by politicians.

While these concepts are certainly interesting topics for projects of their own, they feel incomplete and shortsighted when packed into one film. What’s more, past movies have already done an outstanding job of telling these stories.

For a story that tackles imperialism and resistance to invasion by violent forces, look no further than the “Avatar” films. For an attack on unfair corporate labor, watch “Sorry to Bother You.” And for a Trump impression, just watch “Saturday Night Live.” All of these previous works do what “Mickey 17” attempts to do but more effectively.

So if “Mickey 17” is just a mess of overdone themes and unconnected ideas, why should you see it? Well, as I said earlier, “Mickey 17” is not all bad. The idea of an “expendable” is unique, and the way Bong uses the two simultaneous Mickey characters can be quite clever, depicting them engulfed in hijinks including blackmail, sacrifice and even a love triangle.

All of these moments lead to plenty of laughs, but, unfortunately, only for a small fraction of the film. “Mickey 17” can be shrugged off as a narratively tangled misstep in the director’s spotless filmography, but may still be worth your time.

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