Gemini Man (4k Ultra HD + Blu-Ray)

“Will Smith stars in the nonstop action thrill-ride from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee. Retired hitman Henry Brogan (Smith) is forced on the run by a young, highly skilled operative who will stop at nothing to eliminate his target. Now on a race around the globe, Henry must outsmart the mysterious assassin at every step – but how far will he go once they finally come face to face? Packed with epic fight scenes and groundbreaking visual effects, Gemini Man is the future of action movies.”

Ang Lee’s visionary film Gemini Man utilizes some of the newest technology to create a feature film unlike anything you’ve seen before. One of the most visually stunning films I’ve seen in quite a while, the story focuses on Henry Brogan, a hitman working for the government that has unique abilities that make him the best at what he does. As his life of killing starts to wear him down, he decides to retire, not before learning that he had been lied to about his last assignment in which he killed a scientist he was told was a terrorist. Armed with this knowledge, the government and a division called Gemini led by Clay Verris (Clive Owen) decide he’s a loose end, taking ‘care’ of anyone involved with him, including Danny (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young agent just sent to surveil him.

Gemini Man has been made the rounds in Hollywood for decades, going through many hands, many directors, and many actors considered for the role of the main character. Previously deemed unmakeable due to the technological restraints of the period in decades prior, that technology has finally caught up to be able to tell this story. Now, the story itself isn’t all that revolutionary or unique by any means, as the tale of an assassin trying to retire only to be hunted as a loose end by his employer is fairly common. What isn’t common is the way they tell this story and who this new assassin sent to kill him is: his younger self. Despite the unoriginality of the main story, it is still quite entertaining thanks to some great performances, not to mention the fight sequences, choreography and stunts, all which are very, very impressive.

Will Smith gives a fantastic performance as both himself and his younger self. Not only is the role physically demanding thanks to the intense action sequences, but pulling double duty acting with yourself has to be challenging as well. Besides the sci-fi aspect of the film, the themes of coming to terms with your age and the mistakes you’ve made in your life are clearly evident as Brogan is clearly rattled dealing with retirement, his long life of killing, then seeing himself at a younger age with his entire life ahead of him and the chance to change it all. Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and she holds her own in this action film, herself giving a great performance. Her character is a little underdeveloped and I would’ve liked to learn more about her, but for what the film is she gives it her all. Clive Owen’s antagonist is a perfectly fine villain more interested in furthering his own agenda, truly believing what he is doing is right, a mark of a well-written baddy. His relationship with the younger Will Smith was something that took me by surprise, delving a little deeper into the character than a normal villain might expect. It could have been developed a bit more, but the fact that they went to all this trouble still makes me respect the fact they tried to have a well-rounded villain at the center of the film.

The fact that Will Smith is facing his younger self is clearly the marketing point for this film. It’s in all the trailers and promotional materials. My biggest question while watching this film was if this was the best route to take for Gemini Man? Wouldn’t the surprise of him seeing a younger version of himself draw the audience in more? I’m sure that would have been the case, but I’m assuming this was also a big selling point for the film to be sure to get audiences to buy tickets. As much as I enjoyed the film, it seemed to me they were trying to sell the technology more than they were trying to sell the story, and that just isn’t fair. As much as this technology has improved over the years, the de-aging still isn’t 100%. For the most part, you honestly can’t spot the CG on Will Smith’s face, but those are in the darker scenes which are more forgiving. For the scenes taking place is the brightness of the day, especially in the third act, you can definitely tell. As impressive as it is, right now it’s just a gimmick to be used for films like this or for flashbacks of some sort. The road to bringing back characters/actors from the dead isn’t far off, and I hope it’s something that is used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary, as there are still a lot of moral and legal implications to explore.

Video

Gemini Man is presented in 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2160p 1.85:1 featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10. Ang Lee shot this film in 120 frames per second, as opposed to the normal 24 frames per second films are usually shot in, giving it a much more realistic look. While there are definitely those opposed to this more life-like quality in their films making it seem out of place, I enjoyed the film’s more realistic look. While you won’t be getting the true 120 fps at home, but 60 fps on the 4k UHD disc, I felt the action was smoother and looked incredible, and I wasn’t bothered by the ‘soap opera effect’ that some people get up in arms over. The Dolby Vision looks absolutely stunning, providing that dynamic metadata that ensures each scene looks its best. Colors are vibrant and stunning, with the brilliant brights and deep darks that the 4k presentation is known for. If you’re going to view this film, you have to see it in 4k. This film is breathtakingly beautiful, probably one of the most visually stunning films now in my collection.

The Blu-Ray disc contains the 1080p version of the film that’s presented in 24 fps.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, another great addition to this set. There are tons of action sequences in this film, each providing a great balance between the surrounds and center channels. You’ll really get a workout of those atmos speakers as well for some of the action effects, especially the motorcycle chase as the bikes fly overhead.

Special Features

This set is also packed with extras focusing on both the technology and the story, with over an hour of bonus content to go through. The 4k disc touts its bonus features in the high frame rate of 60 fps and 4k resolution. Bonus features include:

4k Disc

• Visual Effects Progression by Weta

Blu-Ray

• Alternate Opening
• Deleted Scenes
• The Genesis of Gemini Man
• Facing Your Younger Self
• The Future Is Now
• Setting the Action
• Next Level Detail
• The Vision of Ang Lee

Gemini Man might not be revolutionary in its story, but definitely is in its storytelling method. As an action film it does its job and entertains, but the way it does it is simply breathtaking. Check it out, and make sure to check it out in 4k!