I remember when The Bourne franchise began. I had not begun to really dive in to the 007 series of movies and so, when I DID get around to that, I thought it was like another Bourne. Now, I know better that to think that, but perhaps James Bond’s style was adjusted to match the other great attractions of those days. Did that really need to happen? Who can say? Sometimes it is better to thrive than to stick to your guns, so to speak.
When I began “The Gray Man,” the latest offering from Netflix, I could not help but feel reminded of these aforementioned films. Do you remember when 007 was held up in a North Korean prison and was eventually plucked from there by his government? Yeah, me, too! So, Court Gentry, also known as Sierra Six, played by Ryan Gosling (“First Man”), meets up with a member of the CIA, Donald Fitzroy, played by Billy Bob Thornton (“A Million Little Pieces”). He is a prisoner, but will soon be plucked by his government…
If you ever find yourself struggling to keep up with the timeline, join the club. All I can tell is that it is 2003 when the story begins and, eventually, we wind up in current day, 2022, presumably. Somewhere in between those 19 years, Six is on an assignment in Bangkok, Thailand to assassinate a target. As it turns out, that target is another agent, ‘Four.’ It was at this point that I took note of some of the acting performances. Not-so-great ones at that. As if the messy timeline were not enough to cope with, there is another constant, which I found all-too-repetitive: a multitude of title cards showcasing the next location. Yes, I know that James Bond has been known to travel all around the globe, but I do not recall the constant reminders showing up in big letters seemingly every 15 minutes or so… but I digress, so we will move on.
Beyond Gosling and Thornton, we have a rather impressive supporting cast. In actuality, Thornton is pretty limited on screen, but is highly impactful. He is just that kind of an actor. So, Chris Evans (“Lightyear”) is Lloyd Hansen. He was once a colleague of Six, if that sounds familiar, too. However, he is on the opposite end of the spectrum, which makes him the villain. As much as I enjoyed seeing Evans in a role like this, I could not get over his distinctive ‘look,’ which I would humorously describe as a German track star from the 1980s.
Dani Miranda, played by Ana de Armas (“No Time to Die”) is, quite possibly, the only real trusted ally that Six has, throughout. It was great to see her play as a skilled agent, again, after appearing in the latest 007 movie, though she had a larger and more important part to play in this one. I think it is important to note the portrayal of Rege-Jean Page (“Sylvie’s Love”) as Denny Carmichael. I know that he is strongly being considered to play the part of James Bond for the upcoming era of the film franchise, but if that is to be the case, I will not look forward to his acting, based on this particular part. However, it is only one part and not one he will be remembered for. Most fans of his would probably agree with that.
The only other performance that really stood out was that of Julia Butters (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) as Claire Fitzroy. She becomes something of a surrogate daughter to Six, if you will pardon the cliché, and does a fine job with what she has. Of course, there are not any real surprises with her story arc, just so you are aware. That might be one of the most glaring details about “The Gray Man.” I realize that originality is not everything, but something needs to stand out in a positive way to be memorable and aside from Thornton’s performance, which is laughable for all the right reasons (AND the wrong ones), I simply did not see it here. Well, that closing fight scene was pretty good, but you will need some patience to get to that point. The Russo Brothers have had some nice movies, but also their fair share of average and even bad ones, too. I watched “Extraction” a couple of years ago and was not very impressed, yet a sequel is slated for next year, as well. This is not down to the level of “You, Me and Dupree,” but it is NOT up to the level of “Avengers: End Game,” either. It is somewhere in between, which is pretty average, like “Extraction.”
James Bond will return, but I cannot be too sure if Sierra Six will. Maybe he will, but I will not look forward to that in nearly the same way. Maybe others will and that is absolutely fine. After all, there are additional ‘Gray Man’ novels still floating around, right? Make that money, Mark Greaney and good luck.
Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Screenwriters: Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Based on: “The Gray Man” by Mark Greaney
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick as Suzanne Brewer, Rege-Jean Page, Wagner Moura as Laszlo Sosa, Julia Butters, Dhanush as Avik San, Alfre Woodard as Margaret Cahill and Billy Bob Thornton
Distributed by: Netflix
Release: July 15th, 2022
