Gemini Man (2019)

Ang Lee's latest offering Gemini should be seen in 3D HFR (High Film Rate) format as it is the closest thing to what the director had intended his film to be. As with Ang Lee's last film, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Gemini Man is shot in 3D 4K resolution. When presented in HFR form, we are supposed to be seeing the images at 60 fps (frames per second) as opposed to the normal 24 fps look that normal cinema movies have. The result is a stunningly clearer image and certainly the clearest 3D movie experience I have ever seen. In fact, I understand that the desired format was to screen this in 120 fps instead of 60 fps, but apparently not many cinemas have this capability. The first half of Gemini Man showcases this new technology gloriously especially the spectacular motorbike chase sequence in the narrow and colourful streets of Colombia. That chase sequence is probably one of the best ever filmed and looked especially harrowing in the 60 fps 3D. Ang Lee has definitely upped the antenna with his new technology.

Unfortunately, the second half of the movie was a let down, no thanks to the weak story and an ending that offered nothing very exciting to surprising. Perhaps the movie peaked too early with that extraordinary motorbike chase. Not even the star power of the once box office draw, Will Smith playing both his normal age as well as a younger cloned version of himself, could save the movie from losing the audience's attention. This despite the amazingly seamless ease in which both the younger and older Will Smith appear together. Ang Lee has once again demonstrated his skill in achieving major advancement in this ability to de-age an actor and have his acting as his younger flawlessly. Recall his remarkable achievement in his earlier Life of Pi with the CGI generated tiger.

The younger CGI-ed Will Smith and the older Will Smith

I have always been a fan of Ang Lee movies and still am. Like the great Stanley Kubrick, his films are never the same and yet, his style is ever present. I have to admit that both Billy Lynn and Gemini Man did not live up to my high expectations of his movies, but I accept that he needs the space to experiment with new technology where no other director in the world would even consider this, given the risk in alienating the audience and poor box office. Gemini Man's box office take has already been a disappointment but at the end of the day, money should not be the ultimate goal of a serious movie maker. what's more important is whether he had achieved his vision and we feel honoured to be able to share that achievement in the process.