'The Gray Man' Review: Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans shine in Netflix's spectacular action fiesta
The Russo Brothers have been responsible for giving us action-packed superhero movies like ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’. So whenever they announce a new project, there’s a sense of excitement in everyone’s minds. The duo made the entire world happy when they announced that they were teaming up with the likes of Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas for a Netflix movie titled ‘The Gray Man’. It is undoubtedly one of the highly-anticipated movies of 2022 and is one of the purest action flicks I have seen in a long, long time.
Helmed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the movie revolves around a CIA Black Ops mercenary Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling) who is taken out of prison by Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), a veteran CIA official who runs the Sierra program. For years, Gentry acts as Sierra Six for them, but everything changes when, during an assignment, he gets to know the reality of the new mission chief Denny Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page). Soon, Court becomes a target of the CIA, and a psychotic former colleague from the CIA named Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) is called up to neutralize the threat. What we see next is a ruthless game of cat and mouse between Court and Hensen. When Russo Brothers said that ‘The Gray Man’ is packed with action sequences, they were not lying and the entire movie is literally filled with many action scenes that will blow your minds away.
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The duo recently revealed that it took them nine years to make this movie because of their hectic schedules and was shot in seven different locations across the globe. The directors did a wonderful job of showing the landscapes in the most beautiful manner and mix them with over-the-top action sequences that are super impressive. Let me make one thing clear, it’s not the best action movie of the year, that title goes to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, but the latest Netflix undoubtedly goes shoulder to shoulder with the Tom Cruise starrer and gives them a run for their money.
The thing that the movie achieves with flying colors is that it knows its objectives and the audience it wants to cater to. In the process, the movie delivers on its promise of being an extraordinary globe-trotting action movie that manages to capture everyone’s imagination. Yes, it has some flaws and the story could have been better, a lot better actually, but whatever you see on the screen takes you on a journey that is breathtakingly amazing and packed with adrenaline-filled sequences. The chase scene in Prague between Gosling, Armas, and the bad guys is spectacular.
Gosling and Evans are extraordinary as the two leads and take the movie to a whole new level with their performances. On the other hand, Ana de Armas gives another stellar performance in this action thriller. However, it’s Dhanush who turns out to be the scene stealer in this one. Although his role is not lengthy, he manages to take everyone by storm with his fight sequences with Gosling and Armas. He is fierce and adds another flavor to the story. Also, his introduction to the story comes with Evans saying, “Hello, my sexy Tamil friends.” This will surely make his fan base go nuts.
Jessica Henwick and Rege-Jean Page as antagonists are brilliant. On the other hand, Billy Bob Thornton and Julia Butters have given amazing performances.
All in all, ‘The Gray Man’ is a worthy addition to Netflix’s catalog and is one of the better action movies produced by the streaming platform. It’s gripping, wildly entertaining, and bombastic. Sit back and enjoy this visual treat and there’s no need to put extra pressure on yourself to understand what’s happening, just go with the flow.
‘The Gray Man’ premieres exclusively on Netflix on Friday, July 22, 2022.