The Gray Man
review by Bobby Blakey
After all this time my favorite film of the MCU is still Captain America: Winter Soldier. This film offered up a more spy thriller aspect to the superhero universe and also introduced the Russo Brothers aka Anthony and Joe to the franchise. They would go on to be the leaders for a time taking on the directing duties of Civil War, Infinity War and End Game. Now they are back with their latest film The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, with Regé-Jean Page, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Wagner Moura and Alfre Woodard. Could this action flick capture what they perfectly brought to the MCU or will it fail to hit its target?
The Gray Man follows CIA operative Court Gentry, aka, Sierra Six who was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death before being plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy, Gentry. Now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen, a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda has his back. He’ll need it.
I was excited to see what the Russo’s brought to this flick with such a great cast and I was not disappointed. This film is very much in the same vibe of Winter Soldier in tone minus the superheros and instead government ops specialists. This might seem like I am just comparing it to that film like they can’t do anything else, but that is the furthest from the truth. I think they have a niche with this type of film and really bring the high energy and fun to it all.
Right out the gate you know this film is going to bring the action and it rarely let’s up once it starts. Gosling leads the charge fully diving into the role and racking up the body count in every action sequence. He is the strong silent type here, but with more depth than you realize that works to
humanize this otherwise perfect killing machine. Evans is on the other end really bringing some over the top personality to the role that makes him the most fun to watch while still being a badass and pretty psychotic.
Ana de Armas get to get in on plenty of the action and shines throughout. I had wanted to see more of her kicking ass when she was in No Time To Die, but this film more than makes up for it. She is all in and kicks some fun ass along the way. Everyone really dived head first into the action sequences and brought their A game to offer up tons of edge of your seat gun fights and car chases.
There are in fact some over the top moments that push the boundaries of realism, but these days you kind of just expect that and have fun with it. This is one of those rare Netflix films that would no doubt killed at the box office and brings everything you could want to the table. Sure there are predictable moments and its nothing we haven’t seen before, but there is so much fun and action you can’t help be entertained.
Check out The Gray Man streaming exclusively now on Netflix.