Although “The Gray Man” stars Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and reggae singer Jean Page, the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed action thriller is more concerned with the heartbeat and breathing than it is with the heart. It’s a big, loud, exploding adrenaline rush that’s almost as profound as the old “MAD” magazine cartoon “Spy vs. Spy.”
“The Gray Man” Is Simple But Gets The Job Done
The plot is uncomplicated. Ryan Gosling’s character, Six, is imprisoned by Billy Bob Thornton’s Fitzroy for being “The Gray Man” and works for the CIA as part of the elite Sierra Program to execute criminals. Six thugs are apprehended while on a mission to take out the Dining Car (Callan Mulvey). He is the “Sierra Four,” the dining car says, and Six will be further targeted. Six receives a medallion from Four that contains an encrypted disc with damaging material that implicates Six’s boss, Danny Carmichael (Reggae-Jean Page), who is under the influence at Langley.
To murder Six and reclaim the drive, Denny, who is not pleased with this unpleasant development, recruits free agent Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans). For Lloyd, a person with “zero impulse control” is capable of dictatorship and the destruction of entire European towns.
And that’s it for “The Gray Man”. Fitzroy’s niece Claire (Julia Butters from “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”), who has a pacemaker, occasionally joins Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas, underutilized) in kicking ass. Is. But the majority of the movie is made up of action scenes.
The action set pieces in “The Gray Man”, though, are quite cool. The Six struggle as they escape a jet that is breaking apart as it comes down in a bizarre scenario. In another episode, he tries to save MacGevering from a tricky predicament that doesn’t need to be explained because it’s too obvious. Then, with Six restrained to a bench, a shooting spree breaks out, and the movie’s pièce de résistance—a thrilling, protracted chase scene on a tramway—occurs. All of these passages are skillfully performed, with quick editing and a rowing camera adding to their kinetic appeal. They are all quite remarkable.
As thrilling—or grueling as “The Gray Man” may be, the movie oozes plausibility because Six manages to survive everything that comes before it. Everything is a bit one-dimensional. The Road Runner To The Arrogant And Badass Lloyd’s Wiley E. Coyote Is The Confident And Righteous Six. The entire film has the feel of a live-action Looney Tunes animation. Acme may also be written on a variety of explosives, including grenades and rocket launchers.