Directors Anthony and Joe Russo deliver an unrelenting fusillade of star-studded, big-budget action mayhem. Their adaptation of Mark Greaney’s The Gray Man espionage thriller turns on a two-hour bullets and beatdowns spigot. Characters chase each other around the world in huge set pieces while wracking up a massive body count. It’s a popcorn cinema spectacle that eschews a thoughtful narrative for clichéd genre tropes. You have the indestructible hero, despicable villain, a secret flash drive, and of course, a kidnapped girl. The script won’t win any awards, but audience adrenaline will flow in torrents.
The Gray Man jumps back and forth in time. The story begins in 2003 with CIA black ops recruiter Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton) visiting a Florida prison. He gives a sarcastic inmate (Ryan Gosling) a unique opportunity. Stay in jail for decades or join an assassin training program called Sierra. Do the US government’s dirty work without ever being acknowledged as an agent. Exist in a “gray area” until killed or no longer useful. The agency owns you for life.
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Eighteen years later, Sierra Six (Gosling) arrives in Bangkok for an urgent assignment. He’s teamed with Agent Miranda (Ana de Armas) to eliminate a traitor selling an encrypted drive. Six ignores CIA Chief Denny Carmichael’s (Regé-Jean Page) orders about collateral damage. He gets the job done but uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. Six decides to run instead of returning with Miranda.
A furious Carmichael unleashes his rabid dog to find Six. Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) was a former CIA agent dismissed for torture and psychopathic tendencies. Now a private contractor, Hansen has unlimited resources and the cruel disposition to get the job done. Sierra Six is a “ghost” with no files on record. A retired Donald Fitzroy and his niece, Claire (Julia Butters), are Six’s only known associates. Hansen crosses every line to complete his mission. Six must stop Hansen, uncover the drive’s secrets, and stay alive while also being hunted by a legion of mercenaries.
The Gray Man Succeeds
The Gray Man succeeds in contrasting diametrically opposed leads. Gosling’s “Six” is calm, collected, and darkly humorous with a reserved personality. Evans “Hansen”, sporting a creepy pornstache and beige slacks, waxes poetic as he chops off appendages. The only trait they share is a jacked physique. The battle of muscle and wills between the two leaves chaos in its wake. They’re formidable adversaries who crush any impediments to their goals.
The Russo brothers, architects of four Marvel Studios blockbusters, have honed the art of epic action. They go large in nearly every instance. The Gray Man packs more punch in its first act than most genre films have in their entire runtime. They’ve also added Michael Bay-esque dynamic camera mobility to the repertoire. We zoom around and through the carnage with vertigo-inducing virtual angles. A plane and train crash scenes look remarkable. Some may find the sensory onslaught overwhelming. Action junkies will be in heaven.
Star power helps to cover rote plot developments. There’s not much unexpected here. Gosling and Evans look great beating each other to a pulp. Ana de Armas, much like her Bond character in No Time to Die, pulls needed supporting weight to level out the dripping machismo. Many questions are left unanswered as a set-up for the coming sequel. The Gray Man doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s a standard action storyline done better by talented filmmakers. The pornstache alone is worth watching.
The Gray Man is a production of AGBO and Roth/Kirschenbaum Films. It is currently available in limited theatrical release with a Netflix streaming debut on July 22nd.
