Today’s quick review: Gemini Man. Henry Brogan (Will Smith), the Defense Intelligence Agency’s best assassin, wants nothing more than to retire. But when he learns that his last kill was based on a lie, Henry becomes the target of a DIA cover-up led by Clay Verris (Clive Owen). Fleeing the DIA’s killers with Danny (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an agent sent to spy on him, Henry must face off against Clay’s trump card: a young clone of Henry himself.
Gemini Man is a sci-fi action thriller about an assassin forced to confront a younger version of himself. Gemini Man takes a typical action premise—an elite soldier on the run from his employer—and gives it a sci-fi twist. Kinetic action, a full plot by action standards, and a balanced set of leads make Gemini Man a solid entry into the genre. However, slight flaws in its execution keep it from taking full advantage of its promising premise.
Gemini Man delivers on the main draw of the film: its action. Henry is meant to be the best in the business, and he doesn’t disappoint, using a mix of marksmanship and up-close combat to take down his enemies. His clone has a further edge in terms of strength and speed, leading to fast-paced action scenes that show a fair amount of creativity. Gemini Man can’t match the best the genre has to offer, but it does hold its own in terms of action.
Still, Gemini Man is missing polish in a few key places. The script gets the basics right but wavers when it’s trying to drive a dramatic point home. The characters are serviceable but not brilliant, interacting well but never quite achieving chemistry. The visual effects hold up most of the time, but the environments, fight physics, and facial capture for Henry’s clone all have sporadic issues that will bother visual perfectionists.
Overall, Gemini Man is a fine pick for those interested in a popcorn action flick with a touch of sci-fi. It’s not as thoughtful, funny, or stylized as some of its competition, but it manages to deliver a good mix of stunts, story, and speculation without any glaring mistakes. Fans of the genre will enjoy it; those hoping for something truly impressive will want to steer clear.
For a sci-fi thriller that pits a man against his double, try Looper. For a sci-fi thriller with a more elaborate plot, try Minority Report. For one with a lighter tone and a heavier dose of sci-fi, try Paycheck. For an action thriller about a retired assassin with sharper stunts, try John Wick.
5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for satisfying action with a few rough edges.