If you are like me, you have probably watched countless action movies and rewatched scenes with unique fight choreography and creative firearm use. Netflix’s The Gray Man, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, is the type of action movie that has fight scenes that you will watch over and over.
The fight scenes in this $200 million film — one of Netflix’s highest-budget films — are creative and engaging. While the characters and plot are relatively surface-level and unoriginal, the action scenes, the acting, visual effects, and revolutionary direction are truly entertaining.
The plot is typical for a blockbuster action film. The movie is about a former prisoner, played by Ryan Gosling, who is given a chance for freedom by participating in a government-sponsored kill squadron. Given the codename Six, he retrieves kompromat on high-ranking government officials, who spend the movie chasing and trying to kill him.
The fight scenes are astounding and ingenious. One of the first takes place in a cargo aircraft between Six and a group of henchmen who have been directed by his mentor (Billy Bob Thornton) to kill him. The fight features complex mixed martial arts, and the protagonist displays something often overlooked in action films: situational awareness and ingenuity. The protagonist, Six, lights a flare and carries it while he fights off the goons, which allows him to hide his movements during the fight. Later, when Six is trapped in a hole by an enemy, he breaks a nearby water pipe, which allows him to escape the trap (and his imminent death).
Gosling is not the only actor with excellent moves. Famous South Indian actor Dhanush and former Marvel actor Chris Evans play compelling and captivating antagonists in the film. In particular, Dhanush displays incredible prowess as an action star and entertains the audience with fascinating moves. Perhaps Netflix’s goal was to broaden the audience for its high-budget film by employing him, and his inclusion makes the film much more interesting and engaging.
As mentioned before, the plot and characters are the movie’s weakest components. The plot has little originality, and most of the characters, namely Ana de Armas’s role, are barely fleshed out enough for the audience to care about them. Even the protagonist, with his rugged and indifferent personality, barely evokes sympathy with a disjointed and confusing abusive-father subplot. It is clear the Russo brothers wanted to emphasize the amazing action sequences, at the expense of plot and character development.
Overall, the movie succeeds in its mission to be entertainment for action-movie fanatics. No complex plot, deep characters, or profound life lessons. But it delivers on its promise for incredible and unprecedented action sequences. Too often, we expect life-changing artistic movies, but it is important to remember that film is also entertainment. In that respect, The Gray Man surpasses expectations.
