Movie review: Gemini Man

 As expected, when hitman Henry Brogan decides to retire, his bosses then decide to retire him. So when a well trained killer shows up, Henry expects him. What he doesn't expect is a clone of himself.

Will Smith (Henry/Junior), Mary Winstead (Danny), Clive Owen (Clay), Benedict Wong (Baron), Douglas Hodge (Jack), Ralph Brown (Del), Linda Emond (Janet), Ilia Volok (Yuri), E.J. Bonilla (Marino), Victor Hugo (Junior - reference).

Gemini Man begins well and looks like every other spy action thriller flick when hitman Henry decides to retire and his bosses decide instead to kill him. Where the story takes a turn and gets interesting is when the new hitman shows up to kill Henry. That is when we, and Henry, realize his adversary is a younger cloned version of himself. The big twist in place, the film returns to a game of cat-and-mouse with the obligatory action scenes and a nice mild ending.

Acting was good with Smith delivering some solid emotion and action. Winstead was enjoyable and fit her role well. Wong was his usual and fun as always. Owen did well in a role he has seen before. The remainder of the supporting cast was solid throughout.

Somewhere between acting and effects is where things get a bit weird. The CGI and effects used for Junior were almost disturbing at times. His face felt off but when he talked it was obvious something wasn't quite right. Paying a bit closer attention, his focus never seems right, like someone looking at your chin or forehead while talking to you. Physical motions were somewhat better but still lacked a realistic feel.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were pretty good if heavily CGI laced. Dialogue was solid with reasonable depth. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

Overall Gemini Man is an interesting mix of a familiar story with a nice twist and some seriously distracting CGI work. Those who can enjoy the special effects should enjoy this one.

With some very mild nudity, plenty of violence and gore, foul language, and more violence, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2019
Reviewed: 9.21.20
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action Thrillers, Sci-Fi Action, Sci-Fi Drama, Spy Action, Action

copyright ©2020 Dave Riedel