The Gray Man

When hearing the names “Anthony and Joe Russo”, you automatically think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the years, the directors have been providing us with big screen blockbusters (“Avengers: Endgame”, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) but also with the underperforming non-MCU “Cherry” last year. They’re now taking on the “The Gray Man” novel by Mark Greaney.

Their same-named movie is packed with action, an A-star cast, dangerous black ops and relentless fighting scenes. Unfortunately, while the film has a lot of potential because of the ‘killer vs killer’ aspect, it can’t fully fulfil that due to the inconsistent execution and overload of action.

Under the guidance of his ex-handler Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), convict Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) is turned into a black ops C.I.A. agent. Because of his top-notch kill skills and fearlessness, Six’s absolutely someone his enemies should fear and colleagues should praise. While not being his biggest fan, current C.I.A. handler Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page) sends Six across the world to assassinate their priority target.

When their mission fails and Six gets his hands on a thumb drive that can’t see the light of day, the relationship between Six and Carmichael becomes even more hostile. Carmichael soon puts a target on Six’s head and hires the merciless government assassin Lloyd (Chris Evans). This results in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game filled with kidnapping and murder but also with help from unexpected corners and loyalty. So which agent will fire the deadliest bullet?

When reading the novel and/or the movie plot, many aspects can make “The Gray Man” an absolute success. From the (corrupt) C.I.A. agents to the thrilling action and from the battle between ruthless assassins to the different countries that offer unique settings. From the start, it also became clear that Netflix pinned all their hope on this what-could-have-been blockbuster movie; therefore, no expense was spared. Then why didn’t the film hit all the right notes?

Well, mainly because of the unhinged execution. The screenplay has all the makings of becoming an excellent starting point. After a simple assassination goes wrong, Six gets his own pursuit story, and when you add corruptness, rootless killers and darkness to it, you can already see the thrilling, dark and exciting film “The Gray Man” could have become.

However, the Russos added way too much action to the storyline. As a result, the film doesn’t become a stunning thriller but a more adventurous and one-dimensional action movie. How many gunfights, slashing knives, bullet rains, explosions, etc., can you pack in one film? Watch “The Gray Man”, and you will find out.

Where the movie lacks originality, it excels in terms of visual effects. Thanks to a budget of around $200 million, the breath-taking scenes follow each other up at high speed. Whether it’s Six barely surviving the plane explosion, the massive shootout in Germany or the thrilling tram chase, most of the action scenes are exceptionally well made.

They become even better when Evans and Gosling are finally in the same scenes. That might not happen very often in this movie, but when it does, it’s fireworks. Those action scenes are perfectly combined with a slick and sophisticated score by Henry Jackman. Unfortunately, the even faster and more unhinged editing distracts us a bit from the magnificence of those scenes. It just becomes all a bit too fast and messy.

While the cinematography from Stephen F. Windon (“Fast & Furious 8”, “Sonic the Hedgehog“) is still on-point, it feels like this movie was made for big screen T.V. instead of cinemas (which maybe is what Netflix wanted after all).

The stunning stacked cast keeps “The Gray Man” fun, vibrant and enjoyable. Gosling (“Drive”, “First Man”) absolutely nails the suave and witty look, the great sense of humour and the killer assistants skills of Six. While Evans (“Avengers Age of Ultron”, “Gifted”) his performance might be a bit over-the-top and cliché, it fits the vibe and the story of “The Gray Man” exceptionally well. He gives Lloyd the elegance, extreme physicality, humour and violent traits he needs. We wouldn’t say no to seeing Evans in another evil-ish role like this one or like the one in “Knives Out”.

Speaking of the 2019 Rian Johnson movie, Ana de Armas (“Blade Runner 2049”, “No Time To Die”) is just as stunning in “The Gray Man” as she was in that. Her performance as a ruthless C.I.A. agent and Six’s colleague is compelling and captivating, and her attitude and style are phenomenal. We’re sure that we’ll see her in more stunning action films soon. Sadly, not everyone nails their characters perfectly.

While Page (“Sylvie’s Love”, “Mortal Engines”) is an excellent actor, he doesn’t ooze the power, authority and ferociousness Carmichael needs. Jessica Henwick (“Love And Monsters”, “On The Rocks”) can’t fully put her mark on this movie as Lloyd’s right-hand agent Suzanne Brewer.

While “The Gray Man” is very predictable, unhinged and repetitive at many times, this latest Russo brothers movie is still one that’s great fun. Yes, there are the cliches, over-the-top moments, and some inadequate performances, but the stellar cast (led by the impeccable duo Gosling-Evans), the stunningly shot action scenes, and the thrilling score make up for that quite a lot.

“The Gray Man” is out now in cinemas and will be available on Netflix from the 22^nd of July