Now that the 3D craze of the turn of the late 2000s has largely died out since hitting big with 2009’s Avatar. Now that a decade has passed, Hollywood has turned its attention to a new technical tool that filmmakers has slowly begun experimenting with, and that is the use of high frame rate. I feel like we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and it’ll only take more time for filmmakers to fine tune how best to approach this style. I remember seeing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 48 frames per second 3D, and while I don’t that shooting style did the film any favors, the actual 3D effect by itself was perhaps the best I’ve ever experienced, which is why I’m not as quick to write this experimentation off like some.
And that leads us to Gemini Man, the latest film from Ang Lee, who is no stranger to this technology. He used it with his previous film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. I was lucky enough to see that film in the way Lee intended – in a 120 fps 4K 3D presentation. And it was a vast improvement over The Hobbit, in terms of how the style informed the storytelling, but still imperfect. But unlike that film, which was mainly a drama, Gemini Man applies the same format to an action movie.
The setup of the film is pretty basic as far as action movies go. Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is an aging government assassin who just finished his final job having become disillusioned with the life he’s led. However, after he receives information that his last kill was innocent, the government is forced to treat him as a loose end, and have him killed. This is where Clay Varris (Clive Owen) enters the picture, utilizing his top secret “Gemini” program to do the deed. The big hook? The hitman sent to kill Henry is a younger clone.
If this sounds like one of countless disposable 90s schlocky action pictures, it wouldn’t be surprising for you to learn that the script for this by Darren Lemke has been in developmental hell since 1997, going through various potential directors and stars, and numerous rewrites from writers including Billy Ray and David Benioff, who end up sharing the credit with Lemke here. Despite all the time evolving, it certainly feels like a relic of a style of action movie that we don’t get anymore except in the form of overt throwbacks.
However, what separates this from any other 90s action wannabe comes in the form of Ang Lee’s technological experimentation, not just in the use of high frame rate, but also in the creation of a mostly digital de-aged Will Smith. At the end of the day, this is what’s going to get people interested in seeing a movie like this. The de-aging effect is off-putting at first, I found myself scanning the face of “Junior” in his introductory scene, looking for any imperfections I could find. The lips are a little weird sometimes, but other than that, the effect is seamless, and I bought into the presence of the character. Smith brings it, managing a tough balance of playing two versions of the same person, but each dealing with their own motivations, emotions, internal struggles. They’re just similar and just distinct enough, and when needed, that classic Smith charm works its magic.
When it comes to the high frame rate, your mileage will vary. I should note that I did not see this in the way Lee intended, since the closest theater playing the 120 fps version was 100 miles away, and…look, I love you, Lee, but not enough to drive a hundred miles. I had to settle for the 60 fps version, which will be the one most widely available. For what it’s worth, this has some of the best use of that shooting style. The action is crisp, it’s visceral, it makes the 3D significantly better. There are a few moments where the effect feels more noticeable, especially when characters are running, but I found it relatively easy to get into the groove of it.
While the story might seem like by-the-numbers action fluff, I was surprised by its thoughtful touches. Lee’s direction here doesn’t lean on the same things this story would have had it been released in the era it was intended. Instead of being a macho fight fest, it’s surprisingly tender and chill. I also grasped onto an interesting thread in the film where it touches on the idea of toxic fatherhood. Harry’s father was shown in a flashback shoving a young Harry under the water in a pool as a way to toughen him up, testing his ability to hold his breath. However, that ultimately led Harry to grow up having a severe fear of drowning, and at one point in the film, he even says the father eventually left him and his mother. Meanwhile, Clay acts as the father for Junior, having raised him since he was young, morphing him into what he believes is the “perfect version of himself,” which happens to be a relentless and remorseless killing machine. On the off-chance this was too subtle, at a later point, Clay is literally beating Junior while saying out loud, “I’m just trying to make you a man!” Plus, on top of all that, the message basically boils down to being one about empathy, and the necessity of pain and empathy to fully understand the consequences of the violence we inflict upon one another. If taking a life becomes and easy, painless decision, that is when you know humanity has lost.
Aside from Will Smith, the rest of the cast doesn’t get a whole lot to do. Owen is in fairly familiar 90s bad guy territory, which works well enough. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Danny, a fellow agent who was tracking Harry, and ends sticking around as she gets entangled in his whole mess. Winstead is a more than capable performer, and her presence alone brings some liveliness to a fairly underwritten and flat character. The big standout in this whole thing is easily Benedict Wong as Baron, a soldier who served with Harry back in the day. Wong is essentially the comic relief, and if there’s any character in this who feels like he hasn’t changed one bit since the 90s, it’s him. Wong is absolutely delightful, and he bounces off Winstead and Smith really well during moments of hokey banter and exposition dumps.
I can’t necessarily argue that Gemini Man is a great movie, it’s not. However, I think it’s a really solid one that is elevated by some weird choices that is definitely not going to work for everybody. It’s interesting to see something that is both (an unintentional) throwback, and also an exercise in technical wizardry that is still very much finding its footing. The high frame rate shooting style still needs tinkering with, more experimentation, but I think it’s closer to becoming something that can inform a compelling story like any other stylistic choice as opposed to a gimmick. As someone who loves him some schlocky old school action, I had a lot of fun with its ludicrous plot and intense set pieces, but the biggest surprise of the film for me was how it made me think and feel when it was all over. Not thinking about the action, but thinking about the greater implications of its themes of fatherhood and empathy. The execution of it may not be as meticulous as it could have been, but it’s still very much there, and I like it when a film can catch me off guard in such a way. Which just goes to remind you that even if it’s not a home run, you can never disregard Ang Lee.