The Gray Man

Less would have been more. Take the final man-on-man fight, for example, it’s absolutely brilliant, gripping, entertaining, thrilling and yet quite modestly conceived, and compare it to the main action scene, which unfortunately takes place in Prague, it wants to be spectacular but is at best awkward and gives the impression that it's only in the film because someone wanted it there, even though it doesn't make much sense. This film should ideally have been an hour and a half long and trimmed of the unnecessary stuff and some of the characters, it could have focused more on Gosling's likable bulldog and Evans's 80's funny but not ridiculous villain, it could have kept the action down to earth where it suits the Russo's (the night fight in the house, another great scene). Netflix didn't have to present it so grandly... And it would have been better. (07/23/2022)

The Gray Man is about as sophisticated as Arnold’s Commando, but the opulent, senseless destruction and action led by the highly amusing Chris "Lloyd" Evans is well worth it. Exotic and more familiar locations run past you like on a conveyor belt. Gosling enjoys his bored, idiosyncratic agent and Billy Bob is pretty fine too. A pleasant Netflix B-movie which is all the better for the fact that I and my family had the chance to watch the best scenes of it being filmed. "Get comfortable" like we're going to Prague, or... or, like, jail comfortable? (07/23/2022)

As an action spy flick, it’s alright, but as something with a 200 million USD budget aiming to be the best of the Netflix showcase, it’s a bust. To be fair, though, the current blockbusters from classic movie studios (half of the Marvel movies, The Fast and the Furious franchise, the latest Jurassic World, and so on) are similarly shitty. For me, the main problem is that the film "jumps the shark" somewhere in the thirtieth minute, in the extremely ugly (for that money) CGI scene falling out of a plane without a parachute. From that point on, it doesn't matter, we can't worry about the hero because he’ll have it easy peasy. Now he's in Turkey, now in Vienna, now in Prague, he gets stabbed several times, falls down a well, jumps off a moving tram, but hardly anything happens to him, he's just cool. I'd like to see him at least not twist his ankle in real life and then not move for a week! Have the filmmakers watched John Wick, where the action is kept (more or less) grounded and physical to the point it hurts? That’s why those are films people remember. The Gray Man, on the other hand, everyone will watch it (everyone who still has Netflix, that is), but they will forget it in a week. For Czech viewers, it's quite rewarding at best in the sense that they will enjoy watching all the cities that Prague plays here (though there’s always a dominant of the given metropolis painted on the horizon). Otherwise, a forgettable film, the most interesting thing about it is that it doesn’t have any style (which, interestingly, is the opposite I criticised the Russo brothers for in Cherry). (07/22/2022)

I vividly remember how excited I was about this project when it was first announced. Spy thrillers are always welcome, especially under the direction of skilled filmmakers like the Russo brothers and with such a stellar cast. However, as first photos, information, teasers, and trailers surfaced, my expectations gradually dropped several notches; everything felt rather sterile. Unfortunately, though The Gray Man ends up being a decent action flick that doesn’t disappoint, with constant new locations and plenty of action so you won’t get bored, the overall routine nature is hard to ignore (the ambitions seemed to be in entirely different realms). The acting was fine, although Gosling seemed to wear just one expression throughout the film. At least Chris Evans enjoyed playing the unrestrained sociopathic villain (he honestly carried the film on his shoulders). Ana de Armas as the CIA agent was also a highlight. As mentioned, there are numerous adrenaline-pumping sequences, but the excessive digital effects were irritating. Whether it was the plane crash, the poorly edited and sound-designed shootout (which, despite looking decent, was a letdown), the tram chase through Prague (terrible CGI), or the final epilogue in Croatia, the over-the-top artificiality was unappealing. I really don’t understand where the $200 million went; I’d understand a quarter of the budget for what we got. The story didn’t captivate either, being full of clichés at every turn. The relationship between Gosling and the little girl was nice, but that’s about it. The word “DECENT” kind of sums up my feelings after watching it. Watch, enjoy, forget. I can’t believe they’re planning a trilogy. This doesn’t come close to the quality of Bond, Bourne, or MI. What a shame. I give it a slightly above-average 5.5/10. The disappointment of the year for me. P.S. At least the fights with Indian star Dhanush were worth it :) ... After reading the book (which I’d rate about 7.5/10), I have to lower my rating (around 4.5/10). It’s really sad how the adaptation cut down the source material. The lack of tension, which relies on Gentry being hunted by a dozen elite international teams, is noticeably missing here :( (07/23/2022)

I feel that that writing anything about this film is like carrying wood into the forest. For the grandiose statements of Netflix and the considerable expectations of the audience, it turned out to be kind of mediocre, but, let's be honest, not exactly the rubbish product that was Red Notice (aka the second most expensive Netflix production), and you can have fun with The Gray Man (especially thanks to Chris Evans, who really enjoys the psychopathic villain with the moustache). (09/10/2022)