Netflix’s ‘The Gray Man,’ an ambitious-but-forgettable blockbuster

Fending off competition from at least a half-dozen other streaming services, Netflix hopes big, original blockbusters will keep audiences satiated. There are only so many hours of “Stranger Things,” after all.

Unfortunately, spending loads of cash on explosions and A-list stars doesn’t guarantee quality. For example, last year’s “Red Notice” with Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, had a weak script and a clunky visual aesthetic even despite spending upwards of $200 million on the project.

This year’s massive Netflix project, the spy thriller “The Gray Man,” includes more big names (Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas) as well as “Avengers”-level directors in the form of Joe and Anthony Russo (the filmmaking duo behind “Infinity War” and “Endgame”).

Topping the “Red Notice” budget, “The Gray Man” at least looks more expensive. The movie changes exotic locations regularly, and the Russo Brothers know how to stage convincing action that blends live-action stunts with CGI wizardry.

It looks good, but you still may not remember much once the credits begin to roll.

Based on the bestselling book series by Mark Greaney, “The Gray Man” follows an elite CIA assassin known as “Sierra Six” (Gosling). After years under the tutelage of CIA recruiter Fitzroy (an underutilized Billy Bob Thornton), a new, more evil CIA official played by Regé-Jean Page wants to terminate the “Sierra” program in order to bury some personal dirty laundry.

That means killing off the remaining Sierra assassins, so the agency turns to a sociopathic contractor (Chris Evans with a dastardly mustache) to track down Gosling’s rogue agent. De Armas plays another operative who reluctantly helps Six in a few key spots.

Abundant action fills the two-hour-plus runtime, including numerous combat sequences, an escape from a crashing airplane and much more. It’s all competently put together, though the frenetic pacing of the movie makes these sequences blend together, and nothing stands out in the way you might expect in a modern James Bond or “Mission: Impossible” movie, both obvious franchise inspirations for this iteration of “The Gray Man.”

The two leads work well enough; Gosling plays familiar beats as the detached-but-dangerous cool guy, and Evans seems to be enjoying himself (like he did in “Knives Out”) playing a character with the opposite personality of his Captain America performance.

Even with slick action and big stars, “The Gray Man” just can’t shake the crustiness of its abundant spy genre tropes. It plays safe, like the fifth or sixth installment in a Jason Bourne-like franchise rather than the kickoff to something new and exciting.

Netflix needs more bankable original blockbusters, so “The Gray Man” might lead to multiple sequels regardless of what anyone actually thinks about it. They’ve got the right players in place here. Now Netflix needs to give Mr. Gray Man a little personality.

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Tyler Wilson is a member of the International Press Academy and has been writing about movies and pop culture for Inland Northwest publications since 2000, including a regular column in The Press since 2006. He can be reached at [email protected].