Parents' Guide to

Gemini Man

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Violent, effects-driven action misfire is sluggish, dull.

Movie PG-13 2019 117 minutes
Gemini Man Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 12 parent reviews

BelovedODave78
BelovedODave78 Adult
May 17, 2022
age 14+

An OKAY watch, though I don't see myself watching it again

Though I felt like the movie had great uses of CGI and visual tricks, it doesn't make up for the lackluster plot development and uneven pacing. VIOLENCE: Some blood is shown, but there is constant gun violence and high-speed driving, which unsurprisingly leads to collisions and deaths. SEXUAL: A moment where a character is asked to take off her clothes to search for any tracking devices; no nudity is shown. LANGUAGE: Casual use of "s**t," and two uses of "f**k" (one character says "Adios motherf***er", which is quite strong for PG-13, on edge towards an R-rating).
MarvelDAD
MarvelDAD Parent of 9 and 11-year-old
May 25, 2021
age 10+

Great movie!

This movie is epic! The violence is pretty much the same as his earlier movies like I, Robot which was great. This movie has no sexual content and no drug use which is a relief considering movies that are out today. And the violence is not of the likes of mission impossible. It has less violence. They Only show the guns and point it at peoples heads. Overall if your kid is not sensitive than it should be fine for 10 yr olds.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In GEMINI MAN, we meet Henry Brogan (Will Smith), who was the world's most highly skilled assassin -- able to take out a target on a moving bullet train from a hillside -- until his decision to retire. In Georgia, Henry rents a boat to meet an old friend, who warns him that the man Henry just killed was actually a scientist. Then Henry realizes that his boat was tapped, and that the person who rented it to him is actually also a secret agent, Danny Zakarweski (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Before long, snipers are coming after both Henry and Danny, so they hit the road with the help of pilot Baron (Benedict Wong) to try to figure out who's after them and why. In Colombia, Henry is targeted by another sniper, and this one is different from all the others. In fact, he looks just like a younger version of Henry!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (24 ):

This sluggish, dull, special effects-driven actioner fails twice: In engaging with an intellectual discussion of clones and in its attempt to find strong emotional ground on the same subject. Director Ang Lee continues his string of technology-advancing movies, but while Life of Pi worked nicely, both Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and Gemini Man seem to have neglected the human connection. Even the real Smith seems muted here; he's normally a warm, funny, compulsively watchable actor, but in trying to convey Henry's lifetime of pain, he simply shuts down. The clone version is kept mostly in shadows to hide its fake, rubbery quality; a scene shot in bright sunlight really lets the seams show.

The story, which takes its characters all over the world, grows more and more implausible -- no one ever gets jet lag? -- and runs out of momentum before long. Aside from some professional-looking stunts and smooth chase scenes, the action only rarely thrills. But what's missing overall is a point. The villain (Clive Owen) has his reasons for creating clone soldiers. And they're not entirely appalling, but the movie's entire conversation about clones -- issues like permission, whether they have souls, and how they might be treated by humans -- is completely ignored. The folks who made Gemini Man clearly put in a great deal of work, but this high-concept movie only yields low-impact results.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Gemini Man's violence. How intense is it? Does the fact that it's largely bloodless make it seem less brutal? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Danny can hold her own in a fight, but is she a strong female character? Why or why not?

  • How does the effects technology that created a copy of star Smith strike you? Is the copy lifelike? Is it cool or creepy?

Movie Details

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