“GEMINI MAN” — 21⁄2 stars — Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, Clive Owen; PG-13 (violence and action throughout, and brief strong language); in general release; running time: 117 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — “An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.”
That’s the description IMDb gives “Gemini Man,” and while this summary perfectly encapsulates the premise of Ang Lee’s film, it also underscores one of its primary problems: there’s no element of surprise here.
Will Smith plays both the hitman and — with some CGI assistance — the clone. The hitman is Henry Brogan, a distinguished government assassin who senses he is losing a step and decides to retire before his diminished skills lead to any collateral damage. But when all of his former associates start dropping like flies, Henry realizes that certain people above his paygrade aren’t going to let him ride off into the sunset.
This suspicion is confirmed when, on the run with fellow agent Danny Zakarweski (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and longtime friend Baron (Benedict Wong), Henry is targeted by a highly skilled assassin with an awful lot of familiar qualities.
Behind the scenes, Henry’s mentor Clay Verris (Clive Owen) has developed a secret program called Gemini, designed to create the ultimate assassin. Unbeknownst to Henry, Clay used his protege’s DNA to clone the agency’s most decorated hitman, and now he’s sent that clone to get rid of his predecessor.
It’s an interesting enough setup, and Lee’s machinations keep things engaging for the most part. But the big problem is that it takes Henry and Co. most of the film to figure out what we already know going in.
You could blame a lot of this on the marketing — it’s hard to imagine anyone seeing “Gemini Man” without already being aware of its core conceit — but the film’s design suggests we’re supposed to be in suspense, impressed by the twist and, in this case, that just isn’t going to happen.
Without the suspense, “Gemini Man” has to rely on the hits and misses of its other merits. With the notable exception of one scene late in the film, the de-aging process used for Smith’s clone character is spectacular. It’s almost jarring to get accustomed to the younger character and then see the present-day, middle-aged Smith standing in the same room with him. “Gemini Man” probably isn’t worth a ticket on this alone, but it’s a pretty significant marker in the development of the craft.
At the same time, CGI also undermines some of the otherwise excellent action sequences. This is especially apparent in an exciting high-speed motorcycle chase, which avoids the popular quick-cutting editing shortcuts and handheld camera in favor of long sweeping shots that reveal the scope of the action. But in spite of the excellent staging and pacing, the actual CGI riders look just off enough to be distracting, and what should be one of the best moments in the film gets undercut.
With Will Smith’s clone at the center of “Gemini Man,” the script leans in hard on expository speeches as it attempts to dive into the ethical and philosophical implications of the story. But despite its best efforts, Lee’s film feels a little dumbed down to match its blazing guns and flying bodies. It isn’t great science fiction, but if you’re looking for an action fix, it might do.
Rating explained: “Gemini Man” is rated PG-13 for considerable mid-level action mayhem and scattered profanity, including one use of the F-word.