why dont some people find mickey and mallory likeable?

It is indeed a very powerful story and a very unique and interesting film, even though I may not agree with everything Stone is trying to say here. The fact that they get away in the end IS a good ending for me since it is realistic in a way; real killers DO succeed getting away and not getting caught sometimes in this imperfect world. That being said, I can't say I am happy per se that they got away like that. I understand that they were the by-product of their environment, their heritage of violence and of the media culture in a certain way, but that doesn't remove all the irreperable damages that they have done to dozens of people (family and friends of victims, mostly) and that certainly doesn't cancel their degree of responsability related to their behaviors. I never felt pity nor real empathy for the couple during the course of the movie (they are narcissistic sadists after all). Therefore, I will admit that there was a part of me that wanted to see them suffer even more (then again I will agree that punishment and retribution alone are questionable as sole goals when it comes to delivering justice).I myself do believe in rehabilitation and do believe, like Stone, that the penal system is flawed (at least in some ways) in maximising the rehabilitation potential of the inmates. I have no doubt it can even be more harmful than helpful in some cases. But then again, I wouldn't say the penal system can be charged as downright totally accountable for the creation of violence and the development/accentuation of criminal behaviors by inmates. Fact is, most criminals have the CAPACITY (by that I mean the sufficient mental habilities) to change, but some just never DECIDE TO for multiple reasons. The capacity to change oneself is a choice in the end, and therefore people (in general, criminal as well as non criminal) are accountable and responsable for those choices, whatever they are. In a way, it is good to see Mickey and Mallory overcome their own "demons" at the end, but it is something unlikable in cases like them for sure, and even in the end it remains to be seen if they would really change their ways. So I respect Stone's vision, but somehow I can't just say I like seeing Mickey and Mallory get away (part of me would have like the alternate ending more, though this ending is the right choice nevertheless I guess).

Bill Foster: I'm the bad guy?...How did that happen?

"Well when you have all these people who think murder is amoral, killing is bad, yadda yadda praise jesus and democracy yadda yadda then it's no surprise they don't like the characters. They believe these are bad people. They are scared of such people. If they like anything about the characters they rationalize it by saying Mickey and Mal are victims, are "mentally unstable" or such, and they believe these characters need our pity and our help to be good christians. These people are washed over in pity in the second half when Mickey and Mal are having regrets about some of their killing since they see this as a light towards their moral system (which they usually ignorantly think is the only possible moral system), and then they're probably grief-stricken and angry at the ending of the film.

We who are their opposite, rather enjoy the characters, recognize their weaknesses, and are a bit happy that they succeeded in the end, even though it's far from a perfect story for them, we are living in far from a perfect world. And given the society they are set in, this is a very powerful story."

There is a middle ground, y'know. I definitely think society and the culture that people like Wayne Gale propagate are worse and do a lot more damage in the long run. They're the real villains of the film. I'm not a Christian and don't think democracy is always the best system. But does that mean I like or admire Mickey and Mallory? Of course not. In fact, I think some of the best satire in the film are the idiot teenagers who are interviewed and love Mickey and Mallory, yet still think murder is wrong.

To me, Mickey and Mallory Knox are the ultimate extrapolation of our society and our values. Stone has said the film is a satire on how the media looks at serial killers, condemning them while giving them a lot of attention and ultimately promoting the same morals. In a society where logic, reason and scientific skepticism are looked down upon, Mickey and Mallory are passionate in everything they do. Mickey spouts some pseudo-philosophical crap about how he's evolved, failing to understand true Darwinian evolution (with misunderstanding evolution being a key American trademark) and instead echoing the Social Dawinism talk They think they're the ultimate rebels, but of course they do. One of the most powerful things are society has is to integrate the rebels as part of the system. The system isn't being destroyed because of Mickey and Mallory; the system thrives on Mickey and Mallory. The bloated, mindless, act-first-think-later, capitalist machine loves including them.

But does this mean I like Mickey and Mallory? *beep* no! I hate the shallow, passion-based society, so if they're the ultimate extrapolation of it, I'm not going to like them. It's this culture of dog-eat-dog, competition is good whether it's business or politics or sport, let the strong take what they need and *beep* the weak, etc. that leads someone to commit the ultimate intellectual hypocrisy, which is to take the life of someone else while leaving your own existence alone. America does it all the *beep* time, they're just called wars. In a way, I have to admire Mickey and Mallory for at least not thinking they're great people like Gale, but really, they're all cogs in the same machine, and their philosophies and worldview are not in opposition to the society they're from, but reveling in it. And if you're like me and *beep* hate that society with all your heart, you can't find Mickey and Mallory Knox likable.

On a completely personal level, their constant PDA and lovefest just got on my nerves, but that happens with real life couples who aren't mass murderers either.