Gemini Man is a 2019 American action thriller film[3] directed by Ang Lee. Written by David Benioff, Billy Ray and Darren Lemke. Starring Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong, the film follows a hitman who is targeted by a younger clone of himself while on the run from the government.
Henry Brogan, an aging former Marine Scout Sniper who now works as an assassin for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), is sent on a mission to assassinate an anonymous terrorist aboard a bullet train. During the mission, Henry’s spotter warns him of a young girl approaching the target, causing Henry to delay his shot until the last second, shooting the man in the neck despite aiming for his head. Disillusioned with killing, Henry retires from government service. While adjusting to retirement, Henry meets boat rental manager Danny and reconnects with an old friend, Jack, who reveals that an informant named Yuri told him that the man Henry killed was innocent; demanding proof, Henry has Jack arrange a meeting with Yuri. In retaliation for Henry knowing their deception, agency director Lassiter plans to kill him; Clay Varris, head of a top-secret black ops unit codenamed “GEMINI,” requests permission to eliminate him but is denied.
Realizing Danny is a fellow agent sent to monitor him, Henry befriends her. After his home is broken into by government agents, Henry calls his spotter, who is killed along with Jack and his mistress. Henry warns Danny about the attack, and they manage to kill the assassins sent after them, learning the agency wants them both dead. Henry and Danny escape to Colombia with Baron, a former colleague of Henry. The latter and Danny hide at Baron’s home and plan to meet with Yuri for further options. Meanwhile, Clay dispatches his top assassin to kill Henry. Fighting him off, Henry realizes the assassin bears an uncanny resemblance to himself as a young man, with a similar skill set. When the injured assassin arrives at a safe house, he is revealed to be Clay’s adopted “son” Junior. Although he is curious about his similarities to Henry, Junior is ordered to finish the job.
Henry is also troubled by his similarities to the assassin, whom Danny suggests might be his child despite Henry’s denials. Testing DNA samples recovered from Junior, Danny discovers that his and Henry’s DNA are identical – Junior is Henry’s younger clone. Desperate for answers, Henry meets Yuri in Hungary and learns of the cloning project and that the man he killed was one of the project’s scientists. Having designed a method to produce clones devoid of pain or emotion, the scientist tried to leave the project and was killed upon being discovered. To try to get Junior to turn away from Clay’s intentions, Henry calls Lassiter, who agrees to send Junior to bring Danny safely back to the United States. Collecting Danny, Junior sets up a trap for Henry, but she warns him via a covert listening device hidden in her tooth. Ambushing the younger assassin, Henry explains to Junior that he is a clone, convincing him by revealing their similar traits that no one else could know. Escaping back to GEMINI, a heartbroken Junior confronts Clay, who claims that he must defeat Henry in order to surpass him.
Finding Henry after sneaking out of GEMINI, Junior allies with him to bring down Clay, while Henry urges Junior to quit in order to become someone better. Baron is killed in an ambush ordered by Clay, with Junior knocking Clay unconscious after a brief hand-to-hand fight. After defeating a wave of GEMINI operatives, Henry, Danny, and Junior face another operative with special body armor who feels no pain or emotions. After shooting him repeatedly and along with several secondary explosions, they manage to kill it. They remove his helmet, and he is discovered to be another younger clone of Henry, with all emotion and ability to feel pain removed. A defeated Clay tries to justify his actions towards Junior : creating clones with Henry’s skills would at the same time enable to spare life of young future soldiers and make operations incredibly successful. Disgusted, Junior plans to shoots Clay, but Henry persuades Junior otherwise and kills Clay himself, having already lived with the heavy burden.
Assured that there are no more clones that were produced and that they are finally free from harm’s way, Henry later meets with Junior, who has enrolled in college under the assumed identity of “Jackson Brogan” after Henry’s mother’s surname. Together, Henry and Danny plan Jackson’s future.
Good action flick even though it kinda seems very familiar. Some of the CGI is jarring and you can easily tell when the de-aging is done on the character played by Will Smith. 7 outta 10!