Will
Smith is a movie star who has struggled mightily this decade to find
a project that showcases all the things that made him popular in the
first place. While his latest, the sci-fi/action thriller Gemini
Man,
is no genre classic, it is an entertaining, visually exciting,
popcorn flick that gives him the chance to display his charm as well
as his ability to look cool shooting at villains. The story is quite
weak, but that does not hold it back too much because all that
matters is the initial concept. Yeah, there are some explanations
about what is going on, though the movie is far more focused on the
action and the connection between the two main characters. That stuff
is fun enough that the goofiness of the plot can be ignored in favor
of watching Will Smith crack wise and beat up bad guys. That is
exactly what it sets out to do and it is pretty decent at it.
Henry
is a government assassin who has decided to retire. His last job
turns out to not have been what he thought it was and now he is a
loose end. He goes on the run, hunted by a man as ridiculously
skilled as Henry is.
If
you have seen the trailers or poster for Gemini
Man
then you already know that, in addition to playing Henry, Smith also
plays the man sent to kill him. Through the miracle of modern
technology, he has been de-aged to look like Fresh
Prince
era Will Smith. I thought it might be a distraction, however they
actually pull it off. At no point were the effects particularly
jarring, so I was able to suspend my disbelief and accept them as
separate characters. It is a fun gimmick that helps divert attention
from the cliché “hired killer is targeted by his former employers”
plotline.
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| I'm not sure I need a massage right now. |
What
really helps is the presence of Will Smith. These are two roles he
can do effortlessly: the world-weary veteran and the cocky young
upstart. This is not a situation where he needs to work especially
hard to tell us who these people are. Their personalities and
backstories are quickly established in straight-forward dialogue. He
goes a slight step further by distinguishing them with their
movements. They are both absurdly incredible at what they do. The
difference is Henry is slower and more cerebral whereas his pursuer
relies on his strength and speed. They are nearly identical in every
way, yet Smith throws enough subtleties in there to show how age
makes them different. He seems to be having a great time sharing the
screen with himself and playing around with his persona. While
neither is a wonderful performance, he keeps things light, doing
precisely what was needed to prevent Gemini
Man
from taking itself too seriously.
Its
other strong point is its action. A big issue I have with many modern
action movies is the cutting during fight scenes is so constant that
it becomes difficult to see what is going on. That is not what
happens here. Whether it is a motorcycle chase, a shootout or hand to
hand combat, it is always easy to follow. Director Ang Lee mostly
works in drama, but this is still the same guy who made Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon
20 years ago. He knows what he is doing when it comes to this kind of
material. Since the plot leans so heavily on the action, the outcome
of those scenes are important. If the audience could not understand
who was doing what and why, it would have been an absolute killer.
Thankfully, the editing (by frequent Lee collaborator Tim Squyres)
allows the choreography to tell the story. You can see the movements
of the characters, making it easier to get involved in the goings on.
Gemini
Man
is a fairly stereotypical action movie. There is nothing must-see
about it (unless you are a big Will Smith fan, in which case you
probably already bought your ticket), but it is reasonably enjoyable
for a “turn your brain off for a couple of hours” trip to the
theater. The action is solid, Will Smith has good chemistry with
himself and the silly story does not get in the way of the things
that work.
-Ben Pivoz
