Gemini Man
Will Smith is an ageing hitman who becomes the target of a mysterious enemy who turns out to be a younger, faster clone of himself in this sci-fi action thriller from two-time Oscar winner Ang Lee (Life of Pi).
- Director:
- Ang Lee ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Life of Pi', 'Sense and Sensibility')
- Writer:
- Billy RayStephen J. RiveleChristopher Wilkinson
- Cast:
- Will SmithMary Elizabeth WinsteadClive OwenBenedict WongLinda EmondTheodora MiranneJustin James BoykinAlexandra Szucs
Reviews & comments
Double Trouble
I was going to give it one star, but then the director pointed out there are two - Will Smith and Will Smith. (Although to be fair, my 14-year old said it was a good action movie, worth 3 fourteen-year-old stars). So, rather than reviewing Ang Lee’s latest starring Will Smith battling a CGI younger Will Smith, I decided to instead report my imaginary...
Will Smith may be over the hill in this Ang Lee directed thriller AND in real life as an instant action man actor, but there's still nothing quite like hearing the man blare "WHAT THE ---- IS THIS!?!" indiscriminately into a phone. GEMINI MAN suffers from some painfully average dialogue and some CGI towards the end that borders on resembling cutscenes of...
Sydney Morning Herald
pressSheerly as entertainment Gemini Man does not altogether work: a crucial revelation at the climax hits hard emotionally but feels inadequately justified in plot terms and the epilogue does little more than put the toys back in the box. All the same this is a film to ponder; once again leaving the impression that Lee is an adult among children – or to put it another way: one of the few interesting artists still at work in mainstream Hollywood.
Stuff
pressGemini Man does what it says on the tin. Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) is a surprisingly left-of-centre choice as director, but Lee has always had a genius for integrating digital and physical effects that serves him well here. And there's a motorcycle based set-piece, fairly early in the film, which is as good an action sequence as I've seen in years. Bravo.
Daily Telegraph
pressGemini Man's potentially interesting premise - of a man who is literally forced to confront his younger self - has been through so many iterations over the course of the past 20 years, it's had the life sucked out of it.
Empire Magazine
pressIt gives you two Will Smiths for the price of one, but you still might feel ripped off by its clunky dialogue, thin characters and underwhelming action. Encourage your younger clone to avoid it.
Vanity Fair
pressIts old action-movie trappings, the quaintness of it, cannot be reconciled with its ultra contemporary execution.
FilmInk
press...a visually stunning, sporadically awkward, slight bit of popcorn entertainment that will engage those forgiving of style over substance.
Time Out
pressAs impressive as the two Will Smiths trick is, you'll be just as aware of the movie's hoary script and a fist-gnawingly awful turn by Clive Owen as the villain.
The Guardian
pressThe digital novelty is striking for the first 10 minutes, silly for the next 10 minutes, and by the end of the movie you're pining for the analogue values of script and direction.
Total Film
pressCome for the technical innovations, stay for... hmm. Two Will Smiths for the price of one just ain't worth it.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressSheerly as entertainment Gemini Man does not altogether work: a crucial revelation at the climax hits hard emotionally but feels inadequately justified in plot terms and the epilogue does little more than put the toys back in the box. All the same this is a film to ponder; once again leaving the impression that Lee is an adult among children – or to put it another way: one of the few interesting artists still at work in mainstream Hollywood.
Stuff
pressGemini Man does what it says on the tin. Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) is a surprisingly left-of-centre choice as director, but Lee has always had a genius for integrating digital and physical effects that serves him well here. And there's a motorcycle based set-piece, fairly early in the film, which is as good an action sequence as I've seen in years. Bravo.
Daily Telegraph
pressGemini Man's potentially interesting premise - of a man who is literally forced to confront his younger self - has been through so many iterations over the course of the past 20 years, it's had the life sucked out of it.
Empire Magazine
pressIt gives you two Will Smiths for the price of one, but you still might feel ripped off by its clunky dialogue, thin characters and underwhelming action. Encourage your younger clone to avoid it.
Vanity Fair
pressIts old action-movie trappings, the quaintness of it, cannot be reconciled with its ultra contemporary execution.
FilmInk
press...a visually stunning, sporadically awkward, slight bit of popcorn entertainment that will engage those forgiving of style over substance.
Time Out
pressAs impressive as the two Will Smiths trick is, you'll be just as aware of the movie's hoary script and a fist-gnawingly awful turn by Clive Owen as the villain.
The Guardian
pressThe digital novelty is striking for the first 10 minutes, silly for the next 10 minutes, and by the end of the movie you're pining for the analogue values of script and direction.
Total Film
pressCome for the technical innovations, stay for... hmm. Two Will Smiths for the price of one just ain't worth it.
Double Trouble
I was going to give it one star, but then the director pointed out there are two - Will Smith and Will Smith. (Although to be fair, my 14-year old said it was a good action movie, worth 3 fourteen-year-old stars). So, rather than reviewing Ang Lee’s latest starring Will Smith battling a CGI younger Will Smith, I decided to instead report my imaginary...
Will Smith may be over the hill in this Ang Lee directed thriller AND in real life as an instant action man actor, but there's still nothing quite like hearing the man blare "WHAT THE ---- IS THIS!?!" indiscriminately into a phone. GEMINI MAN suffers from some painfully average dialogue and some CGI towards the end that borders on resembling cutscenes of...
Share