Gemini Man Review: 4 Ups & 6 Downs
Downs...
6. The High Frame-Rate Is Distracting
Ang Lee shot Gemini Man digitally at 120 frames-per-second, just as he did with his previous film Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, in the hope of giving audiences a more immersive and visually engaging experience.
At most locations the film is "only" being presented at 60 fps, but the high frame-rate (HFR) format is sure to prove massively divisive with audiences regardless, because the ultra-smooth image is so far divorced from what people are used to seeing.
Many consider HFR to recreate the "realistic" aesthetic of a soap opera or TV news report, which many viewers find jarring compared to the usual cinematic 24 fps, especially in a movie as outlandish as this.
Ultimately, even though HFR does lend the material much more visual detail, the distraction isn't worth the scattered benefits, especially when it causes some of the CGI-assisted action beats to look unnaturally jerky.
There is a novelty appeal to seeing an A-lister like Will Smith in 60 fps, but after the HFR versions of The Hobbit movies and Billy Lynn both fell flat with audiences, it's surprising that Lee or any movie studio actually agreed to give it yet another whirl.