Will Smith served as a competent leading man in this flat and soulless sci-fi film. There are no glaring flaws in the editing, soundtrack, or acting. Director Ang Lee carries the story at a suitable pace and tone, exactly as the writing intended. This is a big-budget studio film, and the CGI is impressive—particularly with the de-aging of the main character and the co-presence of both versions in scenes.

However, the dialogue is poorly written—a series of cliché and generic conversations that treat the audience as clueless first graders who need to be spoon-fed about what is happening on screen. There are lines in the script that could be omitted entirely, and the film would be more concise and effective for it.

Lee’s films have a calming and sentimental tone that resonates with dramatic storytelling rooted in Asian human drama, but this film is simply monotonic. There is no emotion. It reminded me of Hulk, which he directed in 2003—his attempt to inject deep personalities into comic book hero characters. That film had similar ambitions and similar shortcomings.

Gemini Man has Lee’s style but ultimately lacks his personal touch. Perhaps he simply took it as a job for a large paycheck. The craftsmanship is there, but the soul is not.