The Gray Man

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Regé-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Alfre Woodard, Wagner Moura

Director: Joe and Anthony Russo

Based on the book "The Gray Man" by Mark Greaney

After being recruited from prison by CIA agent Donald Fitzroy (Thornton) to join his elite assassin team, "Sierra Six" (Gosling) rises quickly through the ranks to become one of the agency's top assassins. Many years later while on assignment in Bangkok and working under the supervision of his new boss Denny Carmichael (Page), Six discovers his target is none other than a fellow Sierra agent. After recovering a disk drive with evidence incriminating Carmichael, Six goes on the run with the help of Dani Miranda (de Armas) to uncover the truth. Unfortunately for Six and Miranda, Carmichael has recruited the sadistic and unscrupulous Lloyd Hansen (Evans) who will use any means necessary to find the disk and eliminate Six.

Despite all their awards success, Netflix has always been in the market for the next great action franchise. After the resounding success of 2020's Extraction, which is currently filming a sequel, they shelled out $200 million to the Russo Brothers (who produced Extraction and honed their blockbuster action skills directing the last two Avengers films) to step behind the camera and deliver the goods. While the brothers prove they still have a good eye for action, they are only able to deliver those goods in fits and starts.

The best the movie has to offer is a showstopping action set piece in Prague that hits around the middle of the film. In a unique move, Six is handcuffed to a bench for a good majority of it, which is an inspired choice as part of the fun is figuring out how he will get out of the situation as a huge gunfight breaks out around him. This scene culminates in a thrilling chase through the streets involving a train and lots of destruction to the city. I wish the rest of the action had been able to capture the fun of these sequences, instead relying on some shoddy, at times, CGI and CGI smoke. The only thing that comes remotely close is a fight between Six, Miranda, and an assassin played by Indian megastar Dhanush named Lone Wolf. The Russo Brothers also choose to punctuate these scenes with winding drone shots that at first seem to mimic Michael Bay's aesthetic but as the movie progresses adds some much needed visual flair to the film.

The brothers have assembled (heh) quite a cast for the film and for the most part they don't disappoint. Gosling is a compelling lead and despite his character not having a lot of dialogue, he carries the film. He's not completely silent like he was in Drive or Only God Forgives but for his first true action film outing proves he can more than hold his own in the action scenes. Having a ball as the villain of the film is Chris Evans, who revels in his character's 70's porn stache and lack of morality. The actor's inherent likability works wonders when he plays a villain and there is no better case than here. He also reunites with his Knives Out costar Ana De Armas, who gets to expand on her action heroine pedigree that was established in No Time to Die. As the other main villain, Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page is fine but never truly seems like a menacing threat worth rooting against. We also know what he is up to quite early so there is no mystery to his motivations. Equally wasted is Jessica Henwick, who showed she could kick all sorts of ass in last year's The Matrix Resurrections. I am sure they are saving her character for future installments but the way she is used in the movie is disappointing to say the least.

Speaking of future installments, this brings me to my biggest complaint towards the film: the lack of character development. Action movies don't need a lot of it for us to follow a character through multiple films, with John Wick being a perfect example, but we need more than this. We didn't even need it all up front, as the Jason Bourne films proved. While it does slow down a little to give us some insight into Six's relationship with Fitzroy's niece, even those instances are wrapped in an action scene. The movie never really slows down to give us a reason to even remotely care.

While this entertaining action film was a big step up from the streamer's previous franchise attempt Red Notice, Netflix still has a good way to go before they can truly enter the playing field held by the major studios.

Grade: B-

The Gray Man is currently in theaters and streaming on Netflix