Gemini Man Review: 4 Ups & 6 Downs
1. CGI Will Smith Is Surprisingly Decent...Mostly
Though the trailers didn't do a great job of selling the digital Will Smith, for the most part Lee makes it work relatively well in the final film, sensibly confining the character to low-light and pulling the camera back when he is required to emote.
Given how garish these de-aged characters can look, especially when they're a focal point of the movie, this is a pretty solid effort. The technology still isn't where it needs to be for pure photo-realism, but it vaults over the uncanny valley more often than not.
There is one scene featuring the CGI Smith that Lee misguidedly shoots in broad daylight, however, and the results are both hideous and hilarious. Considering how this element could've easily sunk the film if it wasn't done well, though, Lee mostly gets away with it.
Basically, it's the least of the film's problems.