PROJECT GEMINI (2022)

PROJECT GEMINI (2022)

Tagline: Nope.

(Sci-Fi, Adventure, Aliens with Fewer Aliens) [PG-13]

Note: It’s hard to say if this would have been [PG-13] or [R] but I will go with [PG-13]. It never got an MPAA rating. 

People won't suffer... because they're won't be any people

When I first saw the previews for this thing I was pretty intrigued. I mean, it’s sci-fi – check, it’s got wildly inventive visuals – check, it’s got an alien – check, it’s got a creepy atmospheric score – check. What could possibly go wrong?

The storyline revolves around the earth “dying” due to a virus. In spite of the fact that a brilliant scientist named Amy has the solution, her husband decides to take off anyway leaving her and her unborn child behind on earth. Where is he going? To the grocery store? To the laundry mat? Nope, this dude is going into freakin outer space to try and “seed” a new planet with a giant sphere called “Gemini”. However, when they finally get to the planet problems arise as an alien force starts killing the crew of the spaceship. 

Where this movie is successful is in the visuals. A LOT like BEYOND WHITE SPACE when it comes to the visuals other than it being a bit darker. The other thing I liked is the “hopeful” ending because, for a large part of this movie, you are thinking “nothing good can come of this”. Heck, the movie even ends with a Bible verse. I would have never guessed that was going to happen. Even though the explorer that stays on the ship at the end of the movie is clearly at least reading the Bible. In that sense, this movie reminds me a bit of a comic I started but never finished called 30 BELOW, where a cyborg cult that wants to eliminate all organic life that isn’t part of the cult from the earth. Biological life’s only hope is a small band of rebels that have branched off from the cult and are seeking the last page of the Bible thought to be in existence. I never completed it, so I won’t go a ton into the storyline, but it involved space and the Bible like this film. 

Ahh, alas, so what is wrong with this thing? The biggest issue is the acting. Everyone is extremely wooden. To be honest, I have seen judiciary committee hearings on C-SPAN with more fire than this movie has. It appears as if anyone that might have been trying was pretty much given as little screen time as possible. Alyona Konstantinova is fine as Amy, but she’s just okay. Everyone else appears to have been given zero direction at all even if they are super talented outside of this movie. The other major issue at least for me is that they took the time to design this crazy CGI alien and we only see that thing for about 6 seconds of the entire movie. It’s pretty insane to put that much work in and not show it off a bit more. 

I really wish this had been more watchable than it is. Sometimes effects can rescue bad movies from poor acting, but this is so dull in the acting department, it is sadly barely watchable. What is even more tragic is that this doesn’t look like a throwaway film they didn’t care about. Some really good visuals are in this thing throughout, but this storyline demanded more and what we got just didn’t cut it.

PROJECT GEMINI gets a 2 out of 7. I really think better performances and maybe more clarity in the story would have really helped. It does get overly convoluted as it moves along. Even the twist wasn’t impressive because it doesn’t appear that the cast even cared about this insane revelation. They acted as if they were bored with it.

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF KD STUDIOS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.