Gemini Man

          Here we have Gemini Man. It wasn't too productive at the box office and, unfortunately, it has become a  common occurrence with one of Hollywood's only "hit and miss" golden boys in Will Smith. In the last decade he has had only 3 successful films. Two in theaters and one out on Netflix. The rest of his starring films either bombed or just barely made back what they spent to create them. However, even with such decrepit turn-around's, paraphrasing the old adage, where there's a Will, there's a film! Seems as though that this man is just so good (or lucky) that while his films may bomb, we still just can't get enough of the Fresh Prince!

          Gemini Man is a film that has been kicked around Hollywood for over 20 years, looking for the right director, a balanced writer, and actors with the right passion to bring the idea to life. As this is an action film that takes a hard look at the hypothetical question of "if you could do it all over again, would you", it required a talent pool and production team with an equal understanding in the nature of action and drama. Director Ang Lee was a great fit with his work in action films like Crouching Tiger and Hulk (2003), along with work in dramatic films such as Life of Pi and Broke Back Mountain. Writer David Benioff had similar qualifications with work in dramatic films such as Brothers and The Kite Runner along with successful bouts in action work from the show Game of Thrones and the film Troy starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. Then finally, the leading man ... Will Smith. His exploits in both action and drama come as naturally to him as funky Fresh dance moves came to the Prince of Bel-Air! Along with the stunning advances in technology from over two decades, combined with everything else in talent and direction, this film came together to give us an underrated gem.

          Not that I would've paid top dollar in theaters for the pleasure of this movie, I would've, however, enjoyed the film in theaters nonetheless. It certainly warranted a greater turn-around at the box office. The writing is superb with certain one-liners and clever repartee's connecting perfectly with the characters and the talent which play them. By keeping the writing simple I could easily relate with most of the characters, their emotions, and the connections they had with one another. Along with the writing came a great story that fits better in our day and age ... better than it would have 20 years ago at least. Cloning has been a cornerstone of story-telling for decades, even century's in our society. That, along with the rapid advances in technology, helps sale this fiction as something almost tangible and within reality's grasp. Someone being born and raised in secret, someone born in your own image, someone who is in all essence ... you. In a world of the greatest hit man on Earth, with all the money, power, and connections involved with such a man, it would be such a man that this could happen to!

          While the writing is good and with a fun story, not to mention some respectable acting, the one element which drug this film down was the action. Not the action itself as it was fast yet clear and easy to follow, but the method in creating that action. On one hand half the movie it looked like you were watching two of the greatest Call of Duty gamers going head to head, and it was every bit as entertaining to watch as it sounds. However, on the other hand, the CGI went WAY too far. The first encounter between Will Smith and his younger self in hand-to-hand combat completely took me out of the film's illusion. Seeing these men, who did not have any super-human characteristics or abilities, fall off of vehicles going 60MPH+, then bounce around the asphalt, and simply jump up with no injuries like they just fell off a scooter way too far fetched. The damage done to the characters, honestly, should have killed them both within 30 mins of  the film. And not only that but the motion of the CGI was much too animated. It was like watching a fight scene with men made out of rubber. It just totally took me out of the illusion of the film.

The Good: The writing was relational and clever with the action being fast, smooth, and clear.
The Bad: Practical effects outperform CGI every time, and this is a perfect example.
The Unique: The "unaging" software performed on Will Smith was AMAZING. It was like really looking at over-the-hill Will Smith vs. Fresh Prince Smith!