“Gemini Man” takes a bold direction in digital filmmaking. Does it work? It’s Will Smith vs Will Smith in a theatrical thriller. Rebeca and Richard give their takes on the Ang Lee directed film.
Gemini Man
Paramount Pictures
- Rating: PG-13
- Opening Date: October 11, 2019
- Running Time: 117 Minutes
- Director: Ang Lee
- Cast: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, Benedict Wong
Studio Synopsis:
Henry Brogan, an aging government assassin seeking to exit his career, finds himself going up against a younger clone of himself named Junior, who’s able to predict his every move. With no other choice, Henry must uncover the truth behind Junior’s creation and save him from going down the same dark path he did, all while fighting against a corrupt system determined to “retire” him at all costs.
Rebeca’s and Richard’s Take:
“Gemini Man” falls into different categories. This film was directed by the Oscar® Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee (“Life of Pi”) and written by David Benioff (“Game of Thrones”), Billy Ray (“Terminator: Dark Fate”), and Darren Lemke (TV’s “Lost”). Starring Will Smith (and a younger Will Smith) this movie is an action-packed thriller that showcases the ethical dilemma of the future and impact of cloning, but also an innovative way for filmmaking.
Smith plays two characters in the film: Henry Brogan, a veteran ex-Special Forces sniper-turned-assassin for a clandestine government organization (Defense Intelligence Agency) and the younger operative and well-trained by a governmental unit called “Gemini” named Junior.
While the storyline is basically: why is a recently retired gunman, Brogan, being targeted and who is the other mysterious assassin with similar skills chasing him across the globe? There are other questions and discoveries that may resonate to the viewer as the story goes. For example:
- What’s the ethical limit to experiments in humans via cloning?
- How would we see ourselves if we had the chance to find out there is another human being with the same DNA, but younger and without the experience you acquired over the years, and vice versa?
- What if there was a chance to change the decisions we made in our past, even when somebody else will experience the consequences in the future?
There are several fast-paced action scenes that will be remembered, such as a motorcycle chase through the streets of Cartagena, Colombia, and a Smith vs. Smith smack down in a catacomb in Hungary, but what the viewers (and Hollywood industry) will remember is that “Gemini Man” is primary a technical marvel in filmmaking — a big-budgeted demo reel to showcase new innovative ways to film digital cinema. The concept of making characters look younger (or de-aged) is similar to scenes with the late Peter Cushing or Carrie Fisher for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” It is kind of interesting to see how Will Smith looked like when he performed Will on the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” TV show, but in a drama genre. The photography and locations used for this film are worth watching.
Well, for “Gemini Man,” director Lee, the film crew, and cast pretty much pulled it off, although in some parts the digital effects distracted us as viewers.
Now, Richard admits he’s not up-to-date to all the digital specs in the new world of cinema, but it states that this film has been shot in 120 frames per second (fps) as opposed to the usual 24fps, as well as in 4K resolution and in 3D. Unfortunately, the majority of us will never see this technical display in theatres across the county, as movie houses are not technically set up to showcase this type of film. According to a Collider article, only 14 theaters in the US can display the movie in 120fps, but it will be in 2K, not 4K. So why do a film in this higher format? Because Lee likes the higher frame rate (he also shot his previous movie, the 2016 war drama, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”), believes the film rate can give a fully immersive experience for the audience, and the format can make the digital character of Junior believable.
As the press, we saw the film in 2D, so we can’t experience the excitement of the film that the artists truly wanted to show. To Richard, the action scenes didn’t look right to him. Near the end of the film, there was a character running across the street and climbing a building. The action of the human body looked so fake that you knew it was a digital effect and not a real person doing the stunts. The catacomb fight sequence had its own problem where the fist-to-fist action of the Smiths was moving too fast, but that could be because of the framerate. Seeing Will Smith as his younger self looked strange in certain shots, but, at the same time, was believable. Sadly, the effects were noticeable.
One of the best things about the film is Will Smith. Fortunately, he is very likable actor and a fan favorite. We grew up with him as a rapper and, of course, as the star of TV’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and hit films, such as “Independence Day,” “Bad Boys,” “I Am Legend” and “Men in Black.” With always airing reruns and his long list of films, we can still recognize him in his 20’s. I think that helped in giving us the feeling that younger Brogan can be real.
Now this film was actually conceived in 1997 (with “Top Gun’s’ Tony Scott attached in its early stages) and went through developmental hell for nearly 20 years, because the powers-to-be stated the technology wasn’t there to pull off this type of film. The big question … was it finally time to release this film? You have to make the call. Everyone will have different perspective.
Richard’s Final Thoughts: It’s too bad that the film was made and released in 2019, because we can’t see the film that way it is supposed to be seen. Maybe “Gemini Man” should have been shown at a special-equipped theater, like at a Paramount theme park. But, the idea of making a money-making blockbuster, along with a special behind-the-scenes treat for filmmakers, is what we got. While the storyline is somewhat predictable, the images of Will Smith interacting with a youthful Will Smith (and fighting) are worthy of a visit to a theatre.
Rebeca’s Final Thoughts: A movie worth watching, even though I felt something in the story was missing because it is kind of predictable. However, Will Smith’s acting and performance playing two different characters are excellent, as well as the fighting / chasing scenes. Additionally, the different locations they selected for this film, the scenes and the quality of photography, and the creativity in the shooting certain scenes (not only action) are enjoyable.