When I reviewed the movie back in October, I initially gave it a slightly favorable review. Upon a second viewing, my thoughts on the movie have changed. Gemini Man is still a fun and entertaining movie but it’s far from perfect. It feels more like a campy old school 90s action movie since it tries to be too serious for its good. First of all, the plot leaves much to be desired and it doesn’t have many surprises. In an international espionage movie, that’s a bit disappointing.
However, Ang Lee once again takes himself too seriously (see: Hulk) by focusing on the emotions of the characters, themes of the movie, and the technology when the plot is so hokey. This attempt to try and elevate the movie makes the movie feel flat and soulless. Not to mention, the weak dialogue and exposition weigh this movie down some more.
Be that as it may, the action in the movie is still spectacular. This is, of course, still a Jerry Bruckheimer production. The action sequences are all aggressive and in-your-face. Not to mention, the high frame rate gets rid of any motion blur from these sequences. This means that you’ll get to see all of the choreography without the safety net of quick cuts and motion blur. Though the high frame rate in 2D does make the movie takes some getting used to.
Will Smith does his best to try and salvage the material by being his charismatic self as always. But the flatness of his younger self doesn’t feel natural. It’s as if Will Smith is acting against his natural talents.
Overall, Gemini Man is a high-concept misfire for Ang Lee. Unfortunately, he once again tries to elevate the material by thinking its smarter than it is. Yet one can’t deny the ingenuity Ang Lee injects into this movie. The technology behind the movie is second to none. At least, the movie is entertaining enough to slightly overcome some of the inept high-brow moments in this thriller.
Movie Rating: 2.5/5 atoms
Video
Gemini Man hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an HDR transfer and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Note: The 4K presentation of the movie is displayed in 60 FPS instead of the standard 24 FPS. Because of the cameras used for the 120 HFR, this is by far the best looking, reference-quality picture ever. Everything is just perfect. The medium-high contrast adds a 3D-level of depth to the 2D picture—something you can see in the boating scene close to the beginning of the movie. Both the brightness and black levels are excellent. There are zero discrepancies whatsoever with any of these parts. The colors overall look natural with some boldness to them too.
But the best thing about the video is with the incredibly crisp and clean details thanks to the ultra-sharp 60 FPS camera. Unfortunately, it doesn’t clean up some of the young Will Smith CGI discrepancies of the theatrical release. Overall, this is the best looking picture ever put out there on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Video Rating: 5/5 atoms
Audio
Gemini Man hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. This review will reflect Gemini Man‘s Dolby Atmos track. Unfortunately, the audio mix doesn’t quite live up to the same level as the video. There aren’t many dynamic pans in this mix. Regardless, the accurate placement of sound effects completely immerses you—especially when the action is going off. The subtle use of the overhead speakers also adds to the level of immersion as well—something you can hear in the catacombs scene. Also, the subtle atmospherics completely envelops the soundstage. The layered score booms with authority with the combination of the soundstage and subwoofer. Luckily, the dialogue is still audible despite the boisterous mix.
Audio Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Special Features
Gemini Man‘s Ultra HD Blu-ray disc doesn’t have any special features on it. However, you can find the following special features on the 1080p Blu-ray disc:
- Alternate Opening
- Deleted Scenes
- I Found a Plane for Us
- Original Yuri Scene
- The Genesis of Gemini Man
- Facing Your Younger Self
- The Future is Now
- Setting the Action
- Next Level Detail
- The Vision of Ang Lee
The alternate opening is essentially the same but intercuts scenes from another job that Henry did. The “Plane” deleted scene doesn’t add much to the overall plot progression. However, it’s interesting to see that they added the original Yuri scene before it was reshot and recast with a different actor playing Yuri. You rarely see that in the bonus features. “Genesis of Gemini Man” has Jerry Bruckheimer, Ang Lee, and Will Smith talking about how they became involved with the film. It’s nothing that goes too in-depth but it does have a few nice production stills from the movie.
Unfortunately, “Younger Self” isn’t about the production process of bringing young Will Smith to life—that is in another featurette. What it does have is Will Smith returning to the psychological mindset of his younger self. Also, it talks about the themes of meeting your younger self and the decisions one would do when you meet them. Now, “The Future is Now” takes a deep look at the visual effects technology behind bringing young Will Smith to life. Also, the featurette breaks down the various action scenes involving young Will Smith. “Setting the Action” goes behind-the-scenes at the various global locations in the film. It talks about the incredible stunt work and the beauty of working in these locations.
“Next Level Detail” has the production designer breaking down the different parts of the fake catacombs set. The set itself is interesting because the set was built with a lot of details and with the fight scene in mind. “Vision of Ang Lee” looks at the 120 HFR aspect of the film. At the same time, the featurette is a love fest for Ang Lee as the cast and crew talk about the brilliance of Ang Lee.
Special Features Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
Overall, Gemini Man is an entertaining and action-packed movie that unfortunately thinks it’s smarter than it is. The picture is reference quality while the audio mix is simply static and immersive. Also, the special features in this release are all quite informative.
Overall Rating: 4/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Paramount Home Entertainment.
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