When it comes to film advertising, their term “visionary director” is a term used quite frequently. There’s only a handful of directors that fit that description. There’s James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and Peter Jackson. Ang Lee is someone that fits that description well. He’s trying to push the boundaries of how folks are seeing films much like Cameron, Nolan, and Jackson. But is his latest film, Gemini Man, something that pushes the boundaries of cinematic or is it simply a failed experiment?
Gemini Man brings fun, entertainment, and action but not much else. Besides, who doesn’t love seeing Will Smith fight himself?
Gemini Man follows Henry Brogan, a highly-skilled assassin who inadvertently gets caught up in a government conspiracy. Now, he must face the only man who can take him out… Himself.
Weirdly, Gemini Man is not a cinematic film. It’s an experimental film under the disguise of a cinematic action film. That experiment is the use of 120 frames per second (FPS) to help make the 3D seem hyper-realistic. Much like The Hobbit, the 120 FPS accentuates the 3D and makes the picture look as if you’re there. The actor’s movement and camera work are so incredibly smooth. However, like The Hobbit, it’s something that you’ll need to get used to. At the same time, it’s not for everyone. There is the possibility that you may get motion sickness. The film features several shaky point-of-view shots that made a few people dizzy.
But these point-of-view shots are just some of the action-packed scenes in the film. The silky-smooth 3D emphasizes all of the action and brings everything to life realistically. This is why the film is not a traditional cinematic film. The action is so glossy that it loses that big blockbuster experience.
Nevertheless, the action is hard and in your face. You can even say that Gemini Man is a more sophisticated Michael Bay film—just without the exuberant number of explosions. It’s mostly style and not a lot of substance. That’s all thanks to the producing style of Jerry Bruckheimer. If you know his work then you know what kind of action film you’re getting yourself into.
Unfortunately, the story is a bit generic and features very little tension. It tries to convey a bit of unpredictability due to the nature of the espionage genre. However, everything plays out as you might expect. There are no surprises here. Also, some of the dialogue is so laughably bad too. Sometimes a serious moment causes laughter because of a bad line.
The characters themselves are also bland as well. Other than Henry, the rest of the characters have little depth and have zero character progression. Then again, this is strictly Henry’s film. The entire film revolves around him and the conspiracy to kill him.
Thankfully, Will Smith carries the film and is fantastic in both his roles. He’s charismatic as always. He’s stone-cold when he has to be and turns on the “Big Willie Style” when he needs to be. But he tones down his charm as his younger clone self. He’s much more subdued and naive as Junior.
Now, I know you’re wondering about the look of young Will Smith in the film. Well, the CG work done to make Smith younger is done well… For the most part. There are several times where the high frame rate highlights the CG work and makes Smith’s skin look plastic. But for the most part, the de-aging process looks good.
Overall, Gemini Man is a fun and entertaining mindless action flick anchored by the one and only Will Smith. Admittedly, the 120 FPS experience is not for everyone. But if you’re one of the few who love 3D films then this is the 3D movie event of the year.
Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
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