Gemini Man aspires to be so much more than it is. Director Ang Lee, who has proven himself to be a proficient visual director, can sometimes let his artistic sensibilities get the best of him. This is likely why he’s better with intimate dramatic fare (1997’s The Ice Storm) rather than big-budget tentpole films (2003’s Hulk). There is nothing wrong with having an action film be more than the spectacle, but the ideas in Gemini Man aren’t especially new, profound, or thought-provoking. Since the story and narrative are lacking in that area, one has to rely on the action here, and while some sequences shine, Lee doesn’t have as much fun with it as he should, which makes for a rather mediocre experience.
The premise is intriguing on paper. An expert assassin that is the best in his business is now the target of extermination and is being hunted down by a younger version himself. Why train someone to be the best when the best already exists, and you can clone all of his best attributes. The problem with this scenario is that there is too much filler that interrupts the more exciting part of the story. We have government cover-ups and conspiracies along with a quasi-flirty potential relationship with another agent played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. We’ve been there and done that in films like these, and it only proves to drag Gemini Man down further.
Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is the best at his job when the government needs something unsavory to be done. He’s an expert shot and is so proficient with his sniper rifle that he can nail a target on a moving train from more than a mile away. Henry is good, but he feels as if time and age have affected his abilities following a questionable hit that could’ve taken an innocent life if he was six inches off his mark. Due to these self-doubts, Henry decides to retire, but he’s aware of things he shouldn’t know, and his former boss, Clay Verris (Clive Owen), thinks he’s a liability. Clay wants Henry removed, and if his higher-ups don’t do it, he will bring “Gemini” into play, and this a threat that has more in common with Henry then he could ever imagine.
The most significant selling point of all the trailers and marketing has been the de-aging of Will Smith to make him look 30 years younger as his clone. For most of the film, the process is near-flawless, and you honestly believe that Smith at 51 is mostly battling himself as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It also helps that Smith tweaks his vocals and body language to give the illusion of his younger self, and he never really misses a beat. However, the de-aging effect takes a significant nosedive during the final scene of the film, which is the only one of the process to take place during the day. Maybe the nighttime scenes cover up some of the flaws, but someone missed the ball in a big way for this final moment. It looks embarrassingly bad and even made my semi-sold out showing burst into laughter, which was not the desired reaction I imagine.
The action sequences are at least well-crafted, but we don’t get enough of them. Gemini Man is a surprisingly talky motion picture, but when the action takes center stage, it stands out. Ang Lee choreographs some pretty exciting moments, the best being a motorcycle chase that turns into the vehicle being used as a legit martial arts weapon. There is also a shootout during the climax that elevates the pulse, but the unfortunate problem is all the dead space in between. The pacing drags, and the exposition isn’t as enticing as it should be. This is especially surprising considering half of the screenwriting credit goes to David Benioff, one of the writers of Game of Thrones, a series I’ve never watched. Still, I’m well aware that it’s known for some compelling storytelling.
The one person not at fault here is Will Smith, whose natural talent and charisma can save almost any movie. He brings his typical bravado to his performance as his older self, but there is a real tenderness to his scenes as his younger self, especially in his scenes with Clive Owen, who is a sort of father figure to him. Once he begins to figure out everything isn’t all it appears to be, his feelings of self-doubt are palpable, and their scenes together resonate in a surprisingly emotional way. Their exchanges are deserving of a far better movie. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is on board as the lone female presence in the film, and she holds her own, but any suggested spark between her and Will Smith falls flat due to their lack of romantic chemistry. I could buy them as buddies but nothing more.
I have to say that whenever I saw a trailer for Gemini Man, I thought it looked highly entertaining with some intriguing ideas on display. Sadly, the film doesn’t live up to that promise, and what we get is a film that doesn’t live up to the potential it thinks it possesses. With all the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, this could’ve been the start of a potential franchise, but with the result, those chances are halted before they even begin.
