Chris Evans really doesn’t want to be known as Captain America, does he? Is this an acting thing? Because if I were known for being a beloved Captain America, I’d never NOT want to be known for being Captain America. I’d want it on my driver’s license and my credit cards. I’d want people to put my reservations under “Captain America.” I’d want children to point and say, “Whoa! It’s Captain America!” I’d want adults to point and say, “Whoa! It’s Captain America!”
I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be known for my work in Fantastic Four.
But Chris Evans doesn’t want to be known as Captain America. Well, not always at least, that’s clear. The casting director here said, “what we need is a total psychopath … like somebody who has absolutely no regard for human life … and we’re going to present him like J.K. Simmons version of J Jonah Jameson.” And to this, Chris Evans said, “OH HELL YES, I’M THERE!”
The Gray Man is about bad people doing bad things. But it’s ok, because most of the bad things are being done to other bad people. It’s ok when people we know to be evil are treated as props – but isn’t that true for a lot of films? The focus is released prisoner “Six” (Ryan Gosling) – he doesn’t get the name “Six” until he becomes a CIA assassin during their special outreach program to underprivileged sociopaths. Six is in jail for killing his father; the patricide was justified on the count of helping his brother avoid further abuse, which would make sense except don’t they take into extenuating factors during sentencing? Thirty years doesn’t exactly fit “justified,” now, does it? No matter, the CIA gets him released and makes him into a bona fide killer.
One Night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble when Six on a mission discovers he’s been sent to kill Four. Gee, small world. Tell me, is Six afraid of Seven? Before dying, Four gives up the reason (isn’t that just like a Four?) to Six and, suddenly, Six becomes the target that Four just was. So, simple enough plot, right? Many professional bad guys are out to kill Six, who is also a bad guy … but he’s a killer with a heart of gold. Awwwww.
If you like thrillers with professional assassins, you’ve probably seen this film before. The John Wick films handle this material better. What might set The Gray Man apart from your average assassin v. assassin film experience? Well, some of the stunts are better; I especially enjoyed one where Gosling is atop a street car with his foes in the car itself. They don’t know exactly where his is and start shooting the roof indiscriminately; he reads their approaching position from the reflection in the glass of the building they pass. That 
was a nice touch. Also, Ryan Gosling can genuinely be a nice guy; the killer with a heart of gold trope usually finds men who have to be convinced and come off as gruff all the same.
And there’s Chris Evans as psychopathic Freddie Mercury. I can’t say this was positive or negative; it was simply “out there.” We accept that Evans is playing a guy so devoid of any sense of conscience; he will literally kill anyone to achieve his ends. I suppose we’ve seen that trope before, too, but usually among politicians and mad scientists, not among the muscle. This character feels more to me like Chris Evans made a conscious choice to play a bad guy than it felt like a real character.
For a Netflix film, well, gee, The Gray Man is a superior piece of work. Got a “good guy” you’ll like, got a bad guy you won’t. Got action and excitement and young girl worth saving. It even made a Ken doll joke to poke fun at Gosling’s upcoming role in the new Barbie movie. I think it’s enough to make the film watchable, but there’s little here that’s going to stay in my memory a while. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo may be the new Coen brothers in certain circles, but I say they’ve done better. Much better.
There once was assassin named Six
Who got himself into a fix
Cap’n America’s in town
And he’s now a psycho clown
Next time, stay out of politics
Rated PG-13, 122 Minutes
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writer: Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Genre: Assassin with a heart of gold
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Fans of the Russo brothers
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who aren’t fans of “violence for the sake of violence”
