The Gray Man

Action + adventure = a thriller, right? The Gray Man gives us a movie, but the formula is lacking.

Ryan Gosling is a CIA operative with the code name “Sierra Six.” He is a decent fellow with a moral compass that is forced to go on the run after discovering incriminating secrets about his agency. Unhinged bad guy Lloyd Hansen played by Chris Evans, is hired to pursue him. The chase is on in a game of cat and mouse for the entire duration. The story doesn’t seem particularly literary, but the production is based on a 2009 bestseller by Mark Greaney.

Netflix has high hopes for this installment to become a series. They astonishingly paid a whopping $200 million for this episode. I get it. This spy thriller presents a hero in the style of James Bond or Jason Bourne. Those guys are captivating individuals with stories that have emotionally compelling stakes. In this production, we’ve got a great cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton emerges as another antagonist. That’s not a spoiler. He’s in an irritable mood right from the beginning. These are charismatic stars, but you’ve got to give them something interesting to do other than shoot at each other.

The Gray Man truly tests the idea of how essential a famous star is to the enjoyment of a picture. This screenplay reduces everyone to a cipher. Dull personalities populate the film. Ok fine. What usually makes these tales of espionage thrilling is the action, anyway. There is a lot of combat – some involve weapons, and other conflicts are hand-to-hand. However, it helps to have an emotional component, so you actually care what happens. The narrative is an array of various maneuvers that play out one after the other, spiced up with explosions and fights. Unfortunately, even those aren’t imaginatively staged.

I was expecting more from directors Anthony and Joe Russo. They established an impressive reputation by directing four Marvel flicks. Both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are in the Top 5 highest grossing movies ever made…(coughing) unadjusted for inflation. However, their output is far less enjoyable when not being handed a lucky assignment. This rote production — like Cherry and Extraction (which they wrote and produced only) is yet another unremarkable, colorless offering. Points for truth in advertising, though. The Gray Man has been aptly named.

07-19-22