Netflix’s ongoing strategy of spending unthinkable amounts of money to wrangle big-name talent and hoping for the best has resulted in very little of note. The Gray Man isn’t an embarrassing disaster like Bright, it’s a technically proficient waste of time, like Red Notice.
The Russo Brothers have enough action cred from their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that nothing will slow them down, but their latest attempt isn’t exactly a feather in their cap. They helm a stellar cast of performers struggling and fighting against a bog-standard action script and an overwhelming sense of deja vu. It hardly matters, however, given that the naked avarice that inspired the film’s production will almost certainly pay off.
Ryan Gosling stars as Sierra Six, a former convict who is rescued from incarceration to join an elite assassin-in-training program. Six has a gift for violence that exceeds reality and swiftly forms a father-son bond with his handler Fitzroy, portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton. While on the job, Six finds himself armed with new information that makes him question his allegiances and a flash drive packed with incriminating information on his higher-ups. Generic evil CIA leader Denny Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page of Bridgerton fame) needs that flash drive and wants Six dead. To wit, he gives a blank check to comic relief character and violent sociopath Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), who spends it on seemingly infinite nameless henchmen. Six and his longtime partner Miranda (Ana de Armas) must evade certain death to rescue Fitzroy’s young niece and bring the corrupt officials to justice.
Though The Gray Man eagerly borrows liberally from almost every worthwhile spy/assassin thriller, it reminds one most immediately of a shoddy video game. Six’s unstoppable murder-based superpowers make it feel like he’s the only player character in a world of AI on easy mode. The constant shifting of locations turns beautiful real-world environments into levels in a lesser knockoff of Uncharted or Hitman. Everyone seemingly gained the ability to fast travel between cuts, travel time simply isn’t a concern. Grievous bodily harm is also no significant barrier to any named character’s capability, just slap on a medkit, and they’ll be back up and murdering within seconds. The bare-bones narrative would work just fine for a middling third-person shooter on the PS3, but in its current form, it leaves a lot to be desired.
The cast is undoubtedly the selling point, but, unlike some other Netflix subscription sellers, the big names aren’t phoning it in. Gosling isn’t exactly being asked to portray the depths of human drama here, but he handles his glib quippy dialogue and mild inconvenience in the face of violence well. The script is never laugh-out-loud hilarious, but there are a few solid one-liners and Gosling feels like his character from Drive taken slightly less seriously. Chris Evans shines in the role of the film’s comically evil antagonist. Evans’ previous work with the Russos saw him portray one of the most morally upstanding characters in fiction, so flipping the script seems to suit him well. Page is given almost nothing to do, but he pulls off condescending jerk boss well enough. De Armas’ character is barely there, but it’s nice to see her in a straight action role.
Since the story is woefully outdated, comically unoriginal, and instantly forgettable, the action scenes are all that’s worth focusing on. They’re a mixed bag. The Russo’s aren’t reinventing the wheel and most of the film’s setpieces would feel right at home in The Winter Soldier, but it’s well put together. Almost every action scene has a unique visual gimmick. Some are extremely effective, others look like cheap ways to hide occasionally dodgy CGI. This film cost $200 million to make, reportedly one of the highest budgets in Netflix’s history, and the cash isn’t always on-screen. There are a few solid exchanges and some great ideas in the non-stop action, but there’s also plenty that fails to stand out.
The term “gray man” refers to one who can seamlessly blend into a crowd, undetectable to the uninformed observer. The name is ironic, given the fact that The Gray Man will almost certainly disappear into a massively oversaturated genre. This project was in development hell for almost a decade before Gosling, Evans and the Russos joined in. It’s hard to imagine even that creative team pulling anything transcendent out of the material. The Gray Man is a competently crafted action film by professionals who may as well be operating on autopilot. Six isn’t going to be the next Jason Bourne, or the next Ethan Hunt, or the next James Bond, or even the next John Wick. But, anyone looking for a simple light-action thriller with plenty of satisfying action beats could do a lot worse.
The Gray Man is available in select theaters now and will drop on Netflix on July 22nd.