Twice the Will Smith equals twice the action!… is probably what some advertisements say. That pretty much sums up the idea of Gemini Man. To get more in-depth though, lets talk about the story, special effects and the direction.
Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is the best assassin there is. Trained and born to kill with a record that puts everyone else to dust. Once at the top of his game, he now understands that age has caught up with him. And in this game, one little slip could be disaster. So with a heavy heart and no understanding of how to be normal, Henry decides to retire.
Unfortunately for him though, leaving the life isn’t easy. His eyes and mind never stop, which helps him spot a woman out of place. Figuring out she was sent by the agency, Henry introduces himself to Danny Zakarweski (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Added to a simple surveillance mission on a retired agent, Danny’s life turns dangerous when the agency decides to wipe out Brogan and everyone around him.
Too deadly for a regular assassination team, the agency decides to send in their newest shiny weapon, a clone of Henry. Faster and stronger match up against experience and understanding as fists fly and guns blaze. Who has the will and drive to survive, and the temerity to kill the man in the mirror.
While Smith is always a fun box office draw, the star of this film is really the age defying graphic technology used. A 51 year old Will Smith transformed to a early 20’s version of himself. And while we’ve seen this in Iron Man and Captain Marvel, each new face is different.
Watching the film has its highs and lows when it comes to the technology. Part of you wants to believe and fall into the story and character, while your inner brain spends far too much time trying to decipher and judge the graphics. This leads to a fun opportunity, but also some disconnects from the film at large.
Luckily, you also have Will Smiths personality shining through to carry the characters, albeit mostly the older Brogan. And Ang Lee’s style of action plus directing keeps you moving along with a story that, outside of the new face tech, feels like a 90’s action film. That aside, its a fun run and gun film with a learning curve that everyone will understand.
Grade: B-
Running time: 1h 57m
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Review
Rating
RN review of Gemini Man
A cutting edge action film with a 90's plot.