The Gray Man Review : The Russo Brothers' Adaptation of 'Gray Man' Novel Is All About Merciless Action

The Avengers director duo, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, have teamed up for an action drama, The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, and Dhanush. What we expect from the trailer is an action-packed ride, and nothing else. Netflix has already done it last year with Red Notice, which broke records on OTT viewing. Now, with the same aim, the Russo Bros have tried their version of a spy-action-drama with a basic old plot and a lot of action. The duo deliver some high-octane action sequences to make fans happy, but the film doesn't know anything better about the storyline. The old cliches bore you despite a short runtime, with action sequences working as the saving grace.The film follows the hunt for the CIA's most skilled mercenary known as Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling), who has accidentally uncovered dark secrets of the agency. He becomes a primary target and is hunted around the world by a psychopathic former colleague, Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), and international assassins. Another CIA agent, Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas), accompanies Six just to save her reputation, while Lloyd calls upon a sexy Tamil friend, Avik (Dhanush), a merciless killer. The cat and mouse game between Lloyd and Six forms the crux of the rest of the story. While following a cliched plot, The Gray Man tries no variety at all, which hurts. The screenplay seems pacy due to back-to-back chase sequences and action stunts, but lacks interesting conflicts.Performance-wise, Ryan Gosling as Sierra Six is decent. Frankly, this isn't an acting-driven film, but still, the actors try to add something extra of their own, which is noticeable. Six's character is quite prominent because of Ryan's physics and emotional quotient. Chris Evans' gruesomeness as Lloyd and his never-care-for-anyone attitude with humour packs a good punch. However, the basic points like reliability and temperament are missing from his character. The female forces, Ana De Armas, Julia Butters and Alfre Woodard, have done well with their limited screen space, but they do play important roles in the film. Indian actor Dhanush has like a 10-minute role, and it's all about merciless and bloodshed action. Yes, he has his heart in the right place, which will surely please his die-hard fans.The technical aspects of The Gray Man are below par. Except for brilliant cinematography, the other technical aspects fail to leave a mark. Stephen F. Windon's camerawork may not be that great, but look out for those action scenes. The way he pans and shifts the camera in the darkness is indeed praiseworthy. The editing by Jeff Groth and Pietro Scalia has had a few problems coming continuously right from the beginning. It's an action-packed film alright; that's some extra boost for sure, but the background score doesn't grow as it should have been. The action stunts are enjoyable, though.The Russo Brothers have adopted the novel with no extra features, which makes things very corny. Also, their intention to start a franchise based upon a novel seems interesting. The reputation of the Avengers films has put tremendous pressure on Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, and I guess that's why anything they make looks underwhelming. Of course, not every film they make can be that big and marvellous, so it's okay to look for a different view through different perspectives. The Gray Man takes you on an action-packed ride filled with out-and-out merciless fight scenes and bloodshed, despite the weak story at the centre. So overall, it's a watchable affair for your eyes if you don't mind not putting extra strain on your brain.