The first reactions to the upcoming sci-fi action flick Gemini Man have arrived, and they are...a pleasant surprise. After much speculation as to whether the film would live up to it's rather lofty aspirations, the Will Smith double-headliner has received an increasingly positive response thus far.

The response from Fandango's managing editor, Erik Davis, is hugely favourable, calling the film a 'visually visceral experience' and praising the work of director Ang Lee.

"Just saw Ang Lee's #GeminiMan and it's legit. Old Will Smith vs young Will Smith equals a visually visceral experience that's absolutely wild to watch at times. Again, Ang Lee delivers bold, unique action that's on par w/ the best. See it in 3D, for sure."

He is far from the only critic to praise the film's visuals, as well as declare the need to watch the film in the much-maligned 3D format. Brent Lang at Variety even goes so far as to say not to watch the film in 2D.

"Just saw #GeminiMan. Ang Lee makes a compelling case for 3D and high-frame rates, particularly when it comes to action sequences. Don't see the 2D version. He admits that the technology is in its early stages, but it works better here than in #BillyLynn and deserves to be seen."

A lot of the praise is heaped on the frame rate and how well this serves the explosive action sequences, with both Max Evry from Comingsoon.net and Hoai-Tran Bui from Slashfilm highlighting this quality.

"Ang Lee's #GeminiMan is a huge breakthrough for 120FPS presentation. Action sequences are breathtaking in the format. Will Smith's winning performance shows the level of scrutiny a real movie star can stand up to. If you don't see it in theaters you're missing a true experience."

Though the latter did take some issue with the outdated script, though clarified that the dramatic moments still shone through.

"GEMINI MAN is a technical marvel. In its high frame rate of 120fps, the action sequences legitimately took my breath away. The 20-year-old script leaves something to be desired but seeing a young Will Smith pull off the dramatic moments was a treat."

Cinemablend critic, Michael Reyes, drew comparisons with Gemini Man and the genre-defying Bourne franchise, though was left a little disappointed with the depth of the story.

"#GeminiMan is an interesting spin on a Bourne-esque mythos, with a sci-fi angle added on. It's interesting, but needs a little more story to really dig into. Enjoyable pieces, but a little slight when it comes to the overall picture."

Equally, movies editor Sage Young at Bustle describes the screenplay as 'bland', but added herself to the list of critics who adored the film's visuals.

"The often bland screenplay isn't up to par with the stunning visuals of #GeminiMan, but it also doesn't detract from them (much.) A really cool turn for Will Smith and a huge win for high frame rates."

Of course, critics have applauded the work of Will Smith in the dual roles of an over-the-hill hitman and the younger clone of himself sent to kill him, but it sounds like the spectacle takes centre-stage. You can judge Paramount's new release Gemini Man for yourself when it explodes onto screens on October 11th. Gemini Man arrives from Paramount Pictures.