Review: Gemini Man

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

In his two most recent films - "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" and, now, "Gemini Man" - Ang Lee has shot in a 120-frames-per-second format, which is about five times the standard Hollywood movie format. In the case of the former film, the format was distracting, whereas it's more impressive this second time around. However, in both cases the material accompanying the visuals isn't particularly impressive.

"Billy Lynn" was based on an acclaimed novel, but in the case of the film the material didn't translate particularly well to the screen. "Gemini Man," on the other hand, has a plot that might have felt at home in a late 1990s Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie. Its specifics are somewhat nebulous and the story is often a little silly, even if the action scenes themselves are carried out well enough.

In the film, Will Smith plays Henry Brogan, a government-paid assassin who decides to call it quits once he hits his 50s and realizes that killing people for a living ends up weighing on one's conscience - who knew? Brogan's ruthless former boss (Clive Owen) isn't too concerned about losing his top gun since he, unbeknownst to Brogan, cloned him years ago and has been training a young man - Smith again, but with a CGI face, courtesy of de-aging technology - to take over Brogan's position. But first, he must take Brogan out.

Thrown into the mix is a young agent (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who has been hired to keep an eye on Brogan, although he quickly figures out that she's keeping tabs on him, and an old pal of Brogan's (Benedict Wong) whose only purpose seems to be to supply Brogan with whatever he needs - a getaway plane, a place to crash, etc.

"Gemini Man" includes some very well executed action sequences, most notably one in which Brogan flees from his clone via motorcycle through traffic. In fact, the film's many action sequences are made all the more intense by the 120-frames-per-second format, although the format also gives the non-action scenes a feel that falls somewhere between a video game and a cheaply made TV soap opera.

Ang Lee has made some great movies - "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Ice Storm," for example - and in recent years, he has been one of the directors at the forefront of new technology - his most two recent films, but also "Life of Pi." While that latter film went on to win him an Oscar, his most recent two films have focused on the technology at the expense of the storytelling.

I hope that if Lee continues to pursue utilizing this format, the material next time will be as emphasized as the visual component. Lee is a great director, but "Gemini Man" is an often great-looking, but otherwise bland, action movie.