Review of The Gray Man (2022) by Teatom — 22 Jul 2022

Another very good action movie, from Netflix, that is seemingly panned by the exact same critics that constantly give Marvel movies high ratings.

Unlike most Marvel movies, there's never a dull moment in this Russo Brothers, high pace, action thriller, with just a hint of levity. The dialogue is a class above most in the genre, whilst the plot is of less importance, it stays just streamlined enough so as not to require lengthy exposition, and to move the film along at a fantastic pace, whilst never feeling like a trite excuse simply to connect action scenes.

There's some excellent choreography, with a good mix of close and wide shot combat as well as an interesting use of smoke, dust, and other particle effects that give the movie an overall visual style and identity of its own, that's subtle but definitely sets it apart for those who are paying attention. Indeed, photography, alongside excellent production and set design, is way above standard for the genre and there are a handful of establishing shots, done with a mixture of drone and CG, at great speed, that are simply the best in class, that any genre has yet achieved. Jessica Henwick, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling are all excellent, with the supporting cast all putting in extremely good performances, too. In short, the movie is excellent. If you go in expecting an exciting, two-hour action movie, then you'll almost certainly disagree with every single "professional" review out there and enjoy your time.