Gemini Man
13/10/19 Filed in: Cinema
The fact that this is an Ang Lee film was reason enough to see it but unfortunately it has suffered the curse of the critics, as shown by a 26% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, on the other hand, give it a healthy 84%. I assume the esteemed critics were expecting more from Ang Lee, their main gripe seemingly being the lack of a strong plot.
Well, as the film is about a super assassin, Henry Brogan, being hunted down by a younger cloned version of himself, there's probably a limit to what sort of plot could be envisaged. We have Will Smith playing both roles, the magic cinematographic art of youngification being applied to very good effect. Henry co-opts a female Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) operative, Dani Zakarewski, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who he first encounters when she is posing as the boat rental clerk at a marina. She doesn't fool him for a second despite a very convincing performance.
So why was she watching him. He has retired, and his last job was to take out a target on a high speed train, who he was told was a terrorist. A window shot from nigh on 2km with the train travelling at close to 300km/hr! Come on, nobody's that good. But apparently he is. However, he finds out that he's been deceived, and the target was in fact a biochemist. This is the signal for the agency to silence him.
The DIA chief, Janet Lassiter, is however under pressure from Clay Verris, who's running the top secret Gemini project, and who doesn't believe that the DIA have the ability to take out Brogan. He is, of course, proved right, and so he sends Junior to do the job. Junior is Brogan's clone and Verris has raised him as a son, not telling him the truth about his origins.
And this sets the scene for some tremendous action. The motorcycle chase alone is almost worth the ticket price and there are some impressive fight sequences. I think Ang Lee's experience in making Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (note 97% critics score on RT) may well have inspired some of the action. The cinematography is superb as are the locations.
Of course, action aside, this is a film about the emotional effects of literally meeting yourself, especially when the other you is trying to kill you. Both men have to come to terms with a frightening reality. Brogan, having the benefit of experience, is able to tell his younger clone what life will have in store for him if he continues to follow his current path. Verris, realising he might be losing Junior's confidence, resorts to the final solution! I'll let you see that for yourselves.
An enjoyable film despite what the critics may say.
And this sets the scene for some tremendous action. The motorcycle chase alone is almost worth the ticket price and there are some impressive fight sequences. I think Ang Lee's experience in making Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (note 97% critics score on RT) may well have inspired some of the action. The cinematography is superb as are the locations.
Of course, action aside, this is a film about the emotional effects of literally meeting yourself, especially when the other you is trying to kill you. Both men have to come to terms with a frightening reality. Brogan, having the benefit of experience, is able to tell his younger clone what life will have in store for him if he continues to follow his current path. Verris, realising he might be losing Junior's confidence, resorts to the final solution! I'll let you see that for yourselves.
An enjoyable film despite what the critics may say.