After a couple of weeks off, I’m back to review another Chris Evans film. I’m pretty obsessed at the moment. Not that I wasn’t already but I have been loving all the photos he’s been posting of late. Although, I was especially sad when he got rid of the moustache. I know most people didn’t approve of him with a tash but I think he looked great. All I need is Chris Evans with a moustache and that Knives Out jumper and life would be pretty good. But would The Gray Man?

On paper, the film had all the right elements. A great cast, the Russo brothers and an interesting concept. I’ve not actually read the books, so I can’t vouch for their quality. However, it’s quite a cool idea. A man is in prison for murder and is approached about a fledgling project by the CIA. He gets early release and they get to train a new agent. The guy you call in when you have no other option.

In the titular role of Six, Ryan Gosling does what Ryan Gosling does best in this film. He says as little as possible, broods as often as he can and punches everyone who crosses him. I can’t say that it’s a memorable role for him but he gets the job done. As does Billy Bob Thornton who plays Six’s mentor. It’s not his best part but he’s always a reliable performer.

Arguably, it’s only Chris Evans and Ana de Armas who make any kind of impression. Even then, de Armas has stood out way more on everything else she’s done. It’s only really Evans who looks like he’s having fun. He plays up the bad guy part as far as he can. Maybe he’s just tired of playing the All-American hero all the time? Although, as great as his commitment is, I can’t say it’s necessarily worth it.

After all, The Gray Man isn’t that outstanding. It’s not exactly bad but it doesn’t do anything that countless action films have done before. And most of them were doing it better. In terms of story, it’s uninspiring and bland. Nothing about the film is thrilling or engaging enough. The action fizzles out, the emotional beats aren’t strong enough and there’s a general lack of depth.

It’s also a bit of a let down from the Russo brothers. They lose control of the action sequences. They’re messy and disorientating. The editing is terrible. It just makes everything so difficult to watch. Unfortunately, the dialogue is so bad at times that you can’t even rely on listening either. I know most people who watch this on Netflix will love this but I don’t see why Netflix is continuing to push money into this one.