Expectations are high for the Russo Brothers’ latest film, The Gray Man, and why wouldn’t it be? For one, it’s Anthony and Joe Russo of MCU blockbuster fame directing one all-star cast featuring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page and more. Also, the story adapted from the book series by Mark Greaney has serious franchise potential (yes, we already are talking about the possible sequel). Finally, we cannot fail to mention Evans’ classic evil moustache. of Netflix The Gray Man aired ahead of its release on the streaming service, so let’s see what the early reactions are to the upcoming action thriller.
Ryan Gosling stars as ex-CIA agent Court Gentry, a freelance hitman named The Gray Man who is accused of a crime he may not have committed and is forced to go on the run to avoid capture by one of his former colleagues, Lloyd. Hansen (Chris Evans). The Russo brothers are masters at mixing witty dialogue with intense action sequences, so the banter between the two stars is expected to be highly entertaining. Says critic Courtney Howard The Gray Man lives up to those expectations, with entertaining performances from both the leading and supporting cast:
.@Russo_Brother’ #TheGrayMan has relentless, well-crafted action sequences. A battle of wits, bullets and brains. Ryan Gosling & @ChrisEvans share great performances (and lackluster facial hair!). Ana de Armas is badass and beauty. Dhanush’s scenes are ruthless and sharp. pic.twitter.com/aYNmxGpLkgJuly 11, 2022
“Fun” seems to be a theme among those who got an early viewing of it big budget action movie. We could see from the trailer for the ass that Chris Evans is enjoying his role as the man The filmmakers have called him “America’s Asshole.” says Germain Lussier The Gray Man it’s consistently fun and funny, and if the plot is a bit obvious, it’s never exciting:
The Gray Man is two hours of James Bond meets The Fast and the Furious. Super exciting action, huge scale and sets, solid, self-aware performances, consistent laughs, just a lot of fun. Gosling and Evans rule, the supporting cast is great, it’s a little obvious but never boring. pic.twitter.com/hSoTwgCMfAJuly 11, 2022
Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture thinks this is a good popcorn movie, but it may not live up to other action franchises, despite the talented leads. He also notes that Ana de Armas is evil:
THE GRAY MAN is a regularly aggressive, murderous action film from the Russo Brothers. Ryan Gosling brings his usual stoic toughness against Chris Evans’ evil charm. They’re not as impressive as the Mission: Impossible or John Wick movies, but they’re still a heavy piece of popcorn fun. pic.twitter.com/ggXuErNUYsJuly 11, 2022
This viewer agrees that Ana de Armas is stunning as Dani Miranda, and in fact says that she and longtime Bollywood actor Dhanush — who is making his Hollywood debut The Gray Man — steal the whole show:
#TheGrayMan was Over the Top – High Octane – Action scene after scene. @RyanGosling and @ChrisEvans are electric together and the banter is so good! Great features from #AnaDeArmas and @dhanushkraja who totally stole the show. Netflix and @Russo_Brothers are the best yet. pic.twitter.com/A2KyCbRahhJuly 11, 2022
With The Gray Man is going straight to streaming rather than theaters (though it will have a limited theatrical release), Netflix subscribers they’ll have access to what this reviewer says is the perfect summer movie without having to leave the comfort of their own home:
“The Gray Man” is the perfect summer action movie of 2022. Adrenaline fueled and super fun! Ryan Gosling was bad. Loved every minute of Chris Evans’ wonderful brutality. #TheGrayMan #TheGrayManMovie #ChrisEvans #RyanGosling #AnaDeArmas #Netflix #FilmTwitter @netflix pic.twitter.com/hJD64w2kN0July 11, 2022
And while comparisons to other action movies are to be expected, Joey Morona maintains that Chris Evans’ level is unrivaled.
IMO #TheGrayMan will get a lot of comparisons to the Bourne franchise, but the action sequences and fight scenes in @Russo_Brothers’ latest are next level. Plus, those movies never had a bat villain – as bad (and funny) as Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen. 👍🏽👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/JTabHxnKJsJuly 11, 2022
The Gray Man will see a limited release in theaters on Friday, July 15, before debuting on Netflix’s streaming library on Friday, July 22. Be sure to check out some of the others best movies on netflix while you’re there you can also get a jump on planning your next trip to the theater by checking out the 2022 Movie Release Scheduleand indeed see what movies are coming our way in 2023.
