Netflix’s “The Gray Man” trailer shows CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling) on the run and being hunted by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former acquaintance of the CIA. But when we are talking about a spy-thriller film then there’s always more than what meets the eye. Let’s dig deeper.
The Gray Gosling
“The Gray Man” trailer begins with agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) being interrogated by another agent of higher rank who asks her about a Sierra program. From what Dani says, Sierra agents, AKA Gray Men, are the last resort when the CIA is unable to accomplish its mission by regular means. These men work under the radar and are the best at what they do. And Court Gentry is the best of the best, AKA Sierra Six. However, things take a drastic turn when the Court goes rogue with a device that is apparently of vital importance. This is perhaps after he finds out something wrong is going on inside the agency, which is often the case in such movies. This makes his former handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), hire Lloyd Hansen to “locate and destroy” Sierra Six.
The Mayhem
Sure enough, Lloyd launches towards Court with everything. And the more Court fights back, the more fun it gets for Lloyd. It seems that Lloyd is one of the negative characters that love to hunt. And from his words, it seems that he has some pretty strong sources to be able to turn the Court’s most faithful allies against him. Dani Miranda seems to be Court’s support in his endeavor to uncover whatever it is he is trying to uncover. However, from the trailer, it seems that she was probably hired by the CIA to track down Court but ended up aiding him after finding out that he was doing the right thing. Famed Indian actor Dhanush also has a role in the film, although we do not exactly know what kind. The Russo Brothers have seemingly realized the potential of the Indian market with the success of “Avengers: Endgame,” and this has led them to take the step. But we have to wait and see whether they use Dhanush in the plot or if he is just an honorable mention.
The Action
The thing about a Russo-Brothers venture is that the action is relatable. By relatable, we mean that one will be able to tell that the action sequences in “The Gray Man” are quite similar to those in “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War.” And with this similarity comes the use, or over-use, of CGI. It is clear from the trailer that most of the sequences have a green or blue screen. This wouldn’t have affected us much had it not been for a new wave among film enthusiasts who want more practical effects, thanks to upcoming release of Tom Cruise’s two mega-budget films, “Top Gun: Maverick” and his next venture, “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” that is scheduled for 2023. Both of these films are almost completely shot practically. However, both these films are for the big screen, whereas “The Gray Man” is coming to Netflix. So, people will watch it on their TVs, phones, or laptops. And thus, it doesn’t make much sense to spend all that money on practical effects if the audiences won’t see it in the theaters. Moreover, it is rated PG-13, so we all know what to expect. There will be a lot of destruction, but without the impact. Be that as it may, it will be fun to watch Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans fight each other. And it has been quite a long time since we saw them both in action.
Based on the book “The Gray Man” by Mark Greaney, the film arrives on Netflix on July 22. It stars Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, and Dhanush.
