Grove City Messenger - August 7th, 2022

PAGE 16 - GROVE CITY MESSENGER - August 7, 2022
In Entertainment
“e Gray Man” is a slick action thriller
Have you grown tired of the ultra-slick
and stylized action films of today? Do you
ever wish there would be more in the same
vein of those cheeky and cheesy highoctane
thrillers that were so abundant in
the past? Well, if you have in fact found
yourself wishing for just that, you might be
in luck as there is a new offering that could
be well-suited for your exquisite, albeit
extremely questionable, taste.
In Netflix’s latest attempt at the action
movie blockbuster, “The Gray Man” hits
the ground running early with a slew of
cheeky puns, groan-inducing quips, and
intense scenes of action and mayhem.
Rarely does it let up throughout the course
of its two-plus hour run time although
sometimes you wish they would scale it
back just a smidge. Small and par-for-thecourse
annoyances do lay within — as do
some more serious issues with choppy transitional
editing in a plot that incorporates
an international cat-and-mouse game — but
this film is overall a delightfully stupid
throwback to the action classics of the
1980’s and 1990’s.
Instead of using an overly beefy star like
they would in the action films of yesteryear,
the heavy lifting in the heavily
action-packed film comes from Ryan
Gosling, who is known more as a svelte
beefcake rather than a meaty meatball.
While some in the audience may find his
lack of a physically intimidating body too
unbelievable for this role (I argue that slim
people can pack a punch and dodge the fists
of 100 foes just as easily as a well-muscled
person can) he performs it quite capably in
all aspects because he can, you know, act
and emote unlike some of his action-star
brethren.
In this film, he plays Sierra Six (an OK
name for an action hero though it is no
John Matrix), a member of a covert team
within the CIA that is made up of former
criminals, some more reformed than the
others. Recruited by program lead Donald
Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), he is tasked
with carrying out off-the-books assassinations
throughout the world although the
toll weighs heavily on his mind, body and
soul.
Upon the retirement of his long-time
handler, Six believes he may have found a
way out of the killing business, but you
know how it goes with shadowy organizations:
Just when you think you’ve found a
way out, they pull you right back in. The
person doing the pulling this time is Denny
Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page), the
youngest director in the history of the CIA.
Six is tasked with eliminating a target but
it turns out that target is a fellow “Sierra,”
only of a different number.
After a brutal fight scene that is beautifully
styled and directed by Anthony and
Joe Russo, the soon-to-be felled quasi-agent
starts spilling a few secrets about the
newest head of the CIA. Six is unbelieving
of his claims at first, but a flash drive hidden
within a medallion shows his foe was
actually telling the truth.
Knowing his time on this planet is now
limited — or more limited, given his line of
work — he jets off around the world to try to
deliver this vital piece of jewelry to the safe
hands of his allies. Of course, this challenging
task is made even more arduous when
Six discovers that a sadistic former agent
turned mercenary named Lloyd Hansen
(Chris Evans) has put a $50 million bounty
on his head and called in just about every
wetwork team in the world to take him
down.
The story in “The Gray Man,” which is
adapted from a series of spy novels from
Mark Greaney, comes across as a little convoluted
but what makes it engaging to
watch despite the deficiencies is the acting
strength of Gosling and the apparent great
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Dedra Cordle
time the secondary actors are having, especially
Evans. With a sinister mustache that
is deemed a “Trash Stache” by Six, he
chews the scenery in a way that would
make every classic action movie villain
proud.
And that is really what makes this film
work, most of the time that is. “The Gray
Man” is not a dour film or one that takes
itself too seriously; it rolls out bad puns
and quips with frenzied frequency. While it
does employ the use of more high-grade
computer effects than its throwback predecessors
— it can come off as a little slick and
stylized — the spirit of those bygone flicks
are coursing throughout this movie. While
those films and this film may not be for
everyone, it should be appreciated and
watched by those of us who sadly and inexplicably
miss the cinematic action legends
of the past.
Grade: B-
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer
and columnist.
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Dr. Joshua Morris is a board-certified Optometrist
who grew up in Bellville, Ohio. He
completed his undergraduate degree at the
University of Akron, where he graduated
magna cum laude with honors.
Dr. Morris attended The Ohio State University
College of Optometry and graduated cum laude with honors to receive
his Doctor of Optometry Degree in May 2019. After completing his
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Dr. Morris is a member of the American Optometric Association, the
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On a personal note, Dr. Morris and his wife Tess, enjoy spending time
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cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes, trying new foods, and exploring
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1600 Gateway Circle, Grove City, OH 43123 614-963-3820