Gemini Man (2019)★ 6.0/10

I absolutely love this film. I think it has set an example for future movies to follow. As an action film shot in bright, ultra-high resolution and buttery smooth 120fps, the fighting scenes are incredibly satisfying to watch. However, the writing of the film took a serious hit as most resources were being put on delivering an incredible visual experience. The film has a somewhat cliché plot and a cringe-worthy happy ending. While the fighting scenes are nothing short of adrenaline-pumping, the actual choreography of the movements lacks creativity... Nonetheless, these flaws do not take away from the fact that this movie is excellent. I love it.

The movie screams Ang Lee: Hollywood style of storytelling with some Eastern aesthetics, with no clear-cut portrayals of good and evil in order to put an emphasis on inclusiveness and harmony. Technology is used solely as a vessel for his creative expression and with the help of the newest tech, audience can experience a whole new level of impact and visual fidelity. In this film, Ang Lee intentionally left a lot of room for the audience to imagine and draw their own interpretations. Additionally, the plot touches on topics such as father-son relationship, self-acceptance, dealing with getting old and the discovery of one's true potential. The old and Young Henry are like embodiments of Ang Lee himself: one being experienced and wise; the other young and energetic, with endless curiosities in the search for the latest technology and the courage to take on challenges. I truly admire him for what he does.

Ang Lee believes that the future of films lies in the elimination of the need for "directing" and "acting". Instead, audience are thrown into the "actual" situation in which they can make their own observations and draw their own conclusions. The film, though being a symbol of illusion of postmodernism, is presented in an extremely simplistic and conservative manner. It will remain relevant for generations to come. However, why hasn't Ang Lee's philosophy been fully realized in this movie? I think it's due to the over-reliance on editing and acting. I believe we are far from fully tapping into the true potential of 120 frames per second.

I'm not quite sure why the film even exists. There are way too few action scenes to be called an action film, and too shallow of a plot to be a meaningful discourse on the ethical issues of cloning. It is not even adequate as an experiment and showcase of the latest tech, despite being taunted as one. It is a lackluster movie in every regard and deserves to be forgotten.

Honestly, even as a fan of Ang Lee, I can't seem to be able to find a reason to recommend this movie. Does it delve deep into the ethical issues of cloning? No, it's just the same old plot that's been done a thousand times. Does it excel in portraying father-son relationships? Ang Lee's previous works did a much better job at it. Let's stop pretending that the film has strong writings, ok? Just look at the empty shell of a character that is the female protagonist, existing just to serve the plot. Of course, the highlight of the movie lies in its technical innovations, with action scenes delivering a completely different visual experience thanks to its ultra-high framerates. Ang Lee has intentionally crafted many shots to highlight this aspect. However, these fancy visuals could only carry the film this far; the movie's attempt to appear sophisticated ultimately fails as there is barely any real substance behind the pretty facade.

No matter what story, as long as it’s directed by Ang Lee, it will become Ang Lee's type of story. This time, he is not ambitious with the story, but for the exploration of the future possibilities of high-definition digital cinema. His efforts are on experimenting the new technologies and the movie is shot in a completely different way compared to traditional movies. As for the fight scenes, cinematography and lighting, they are filmed differently, too. Instead of using technology and special effects to create an exaggerated visual spectacle, Ang Lee applies them to support the narrative, making the images more realistic and detailed, which brings an immersive experience to the viewers. Additionally, the "23-year-old Will Smith" character recreated with motion capture technology and CGI is definitely Hollywood's milestone for CG characters!

120 fps is not a technology that explores the surface of "deeper realism," but a buoy that guides and supports the editing and the speed of camera movement while making the visuals more exciting and dense. Compared to its predecessors, this one can be considered bold and unrestrained. More importantly, the technological layers are further refined - only by completely stripping away the fullness to emptiness can a new "reality" be created.

I can’t believe such a clichéd and mediocre movie is directed by Ang Lee. Instead of benefitting the film, the so-called 120 fps only magnifies the TV quality of the visuals and amplifies the awkward acting of the supporting characters. It's a complete disaster.

If you think about it from a perspective of technicality, image exploration and film language, this is indeed a film that wants to go a step further. However, as far as plot is concerned, it’s just another conventional action film that is a bit dull and clichéd, all with an intentionally weakened plot. The ratings differ a lot due to different preferences and tastes. As for me, I admire Ang Lee as a director and respect his eagerness to explore. However, after watching Gemini Man twice, I still couldn't get into it.

I stand by my opinions about Ang Lee - the most crucial part of the movie is not what the story is about, but what technologies/methods were involved in telling the story. This is an entry point to appreciating movies that audiences who care about stories and visual glamour usually ignore; they don't realize that what Ang Lee is trying to do, and what he’s ambitious about, is to create a new concept in film language - one that can be placed in a variety of conventional commercial film genre, while at the same time compliments the authentic 'Ang lee' style. Honestly, I'm thrilled to think that a future-oriented film language might have been created.

Wat a display of cool visual effects! Let's not even talk about the fights between the real and the GCI Will Smiths, how about two-thirds of the movie being shot in low-light environments? Some scenes are really stunning (such as the large-scaled seawater scenes). It's amazing how technology has really expanded on the possibilities in visual storytelling. It's just that this new way of creating visual effects still has its limitations, and the inferiority in the plot and script are more likely a compromise to facilitate the technological ambitions.