GEORGIA — “Gemini Man” is a film that relies heavily on distinctly modern technology, which makes the fact that it was first developed over two decades ago all the odder.

The Ang Lee-directed spy action-thriller stars Will Smith and, um, Will Smith. The 51-year-old actor plays Henry Brogan, a world-class but aging assassin. On his last job before retirement, Brogan discovers something that other characters in the movie would rather he not know.

These people decide they need to take out Brogan as a means of cleaning up loose ends. So, they send the only thing they believe is capable of taking out the crafty and deadly Brogan — a younger, cloned version of himself. Brogan spends the rest of the movie running from the more “Fresh Prince” version of himself, a character brought to you by digital de-aging technology.

“Gemini Man” has been around since 1997 but languished in “development hell” in Hollywood until recent years. It spent so long in movie limbo, in part, because the technology did not exist to allow the same actor to play both parts Smith plays, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The movie has some thrilling action scenes and a frantic pace that will keep audiences engaged. But it ultimately suffers from a mediocre script and a weak third act that fails to provide any meaningful answers to the movie’s own big questions.

The de-aging technology used in the film is, at best, adequate; at worst, it doesn't look much better than a video game. Here are some reasons why not everything about “Gemini Man” works, but why viewers may find some things they like:

The action sequences are great

Lee has spent his career making a set of very diverse films, including the 2000 wuxia film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which includes some of the best and most exhilarating martial arts action scenes ever filmed.

Lee knows how to make a great action scene. That talent is on display in “Gemini Man,” which includes several top-notch fighting sequences.

The opening sequence features Brogan tasked with shooting a man who is sitting on a moving high-speed train from a distance of 2 kilometers. It's a tense and thrilling way to start off the film.

The movie’s best scene is a motorcycle chase and duel between both the old and young versions of Will Smith. It’s a classic action set piece that feels like it’s straight out of a “Mission: Impossible” or James Bond movie.

Not all the action scenes work, though. The hand-to-hand combat scenes in which Smith is fighting the digitally manufactured version of himself can seem muddled and hard to follow.

The script is lame

The script was co-written by David Benioff, who is best known as one half of the creative duo behind HBO’s “Game Of Thrones.” Unfortunately for Benioff, some of the dialogue in the movie is very poorly written, and it’s annoyingly cliche at times.

The plot elements get muddled, and many parts of the movie don’t make sense as the script has trouble balancing its own overly ambitious narrative.

The acting is inconsistent

Will Smith’s character is getting too old for this. Even though he’s playing a jaded retiree, that’s no excuse for him to sleepwalk through some scenes as he does here. At times he seems simply annoyed that he has been asked to act.

Despite his best efforts as the film’s villain, Clive Owen just doesn’t seem very menacing.

The cast has bright spots in Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong, but both are underutilized. They’re both really only in the movie to accompany Brogan in his exploits and rarely ever act independently, and their presence in the film starts to feel pointless toward the end.

Action blockbuster or video game?

While the de-aging technology works fairly well in some scenes, in others it looks downright awful.

In particular, the film’s final scene had me wondering if I was actually watching a video game cut scene. It’s impressive technology, no doubt, but it’s still very noticeable that you’re looking at something artificial.

In many of the action scenes, the quality of the de-aging isn’t an issue, but in scenes where the “younger” Smith’s face is seen in close-ups, the artificiality is so prominent that it took me out of the film. However, there are other close-up scenes where the quality of the de-aging looked fine.

With the technology being the centerpiece of this movie, it should be better than it is here.

Conclusion

While the action scenes had me entertained for portions of “Gemini Man,” the movie’s weak final act left me feeling dissatisfied.

The flashy technology isn’t impressive enough on its own to make the film worth watching. However, the exhilarating action sequences might be enough to satisfy fans of the genre — until the release of whatever Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next movie is.

Check KSL.com later in the week for a content guide for parents for the film.

“Gemini Man” is rated PG-13 for violence and action throughout and brief strong language.

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