Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas’ thriller The Gray Man PANNED by critics who say it’s ‘a bland Bond’

Ryan Gosling and Ana De Armas’ new thriller The Gray Man has been panned by critics – who branded the flick as ‘a dull, derivative waste of money’ and ‘a cheap Jason Bourne ripoff.’

The movie is set to air on the streaming site tomorrow, but some who got a sneak peek of the action-packed film were quick to slam it.

Directed by the Russo Brothers (who were previously behind movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), the movie is about a top CIA agent who uncovers a dark secret within the agency, all while being hunted by a former colleague who has set a slew of international assassins after him.

With a star-studded cast of Gosling, De Armas, Chris Evans, Rege-Jean Page, and Billy Bob Thornton, and a $200 million budget, many are excited for its premiere. 

However, numerous critics have ridiculed the flick, with one calling it ‘formulaic, bland, unoriginal, and disappointingly mediocre.’

Ryan Gosling and Ana De Armas’ new thriller The Gray Man has been panned by critics – who branded the flick as ‘a dull, derivative waste of money’ and ‘a cheap Jason Bourne ripoff’

The movie is set to air on the streaming site tomorrow, but some who got a sneak peek of the action-packed film were quick to slam it

The movie is set to air on the streaming site tomorrow, but some who got a sneak peek of the action-packed film were quick to slam it

Directed by the Russo Brothers (who were previously behind some of the Avengers movies), the filmis about a top CIA agent who uncovers a dark secret within the agency

Directed by the Russo Brothers (who were previously behind some of the Avengers movies), the filmis about a top CIA agent who uncovers a dark secret within the agency

Another claimed the movie ‘never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters’ and said it lost ‘all tension and excitement’ due to its ‘absurd editing.’

A third said they weren’t ‘able to name a memorable thing about it’ a few days after watching it and that it was tough to recall even ‘five characteristics of the hero.’

A DailyDot reporter said Gosling’s character, Sierra Six, had ‘no personality,’ and that she could tell the movie ‘was going to be a slog within the first 90 seconds’ – when it opened with Thornton’s character delivering a long and boring speech.

‘Mediocre’ and ‘bland’: Movie critics slam The Gray Man in withering reviews 

  • A DailyDot reporter said Ryan Gosling’s character, Sierra Six, has ‘no personality,’ and that ‘the characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars.’ The outlet also claimed the script is ‘so formulaic it may as well be generated by an algorithm’ and that the action scenes are ‘disappointingly mediocre.’
  • The New York Times was also quick to bash the film, writing in a review that it’s made up of a ‘barrage of bullets and one-liners.’ It added that the audience isn’t able ‘to find its footing in the film’s large, expensive set pieces, which prevents the action from becoming truly thrilling.’
  • Well-known movie critic Robert Ebert said the Russo brothers, who directed the flick, ‘ran off’ with Netflix’s money without ‘really caring what they delivered.’ Ebert called the ‘programmatically dull’ movie ‘a silly piece of popcorn entertainment that too often forgets that this kind of venture needs to be fun.’
  • Collider also released furious fire against The Gray Man in its review, calling the movie ‘mediocre’ and slamming it for including ‘too many supporting characters without much to do.’ Collider said The Gray Man ‘never gives the audience a reason to care about this mission or the characters.’ It added that the ‘big, dumb action film’ is ‘really just as simple as one man trying to kill another.’

‘The characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars,’ the outlet wrote in its review, adding that the script is ‘so formulaic it may as well be generated by an algorithm.’

‘Movies like The Gray Man live or die on their action sequences,’ it continued. ‘Sure, the concept is unoriginal – a man on the run, some evil mercenaries, a kidnapped girl – but no one watches these movies for the plot. We’re here for fight scenes and car chases… which in this case are disappointingly mediocre.’

DailyDot compared the flick to a ‘cheap Jason Bourne ripoff,’ which ‘failed to elicit any sense of danger.’ 

It added that the Russo brothers used ‘flat and murky’ lighting, which makes the viewer feel like they’re watching it ‘through tinted shades’ or through ‘a haze of smoke.’

The outlet also slammed the directors’ ‘choppy editing,’ which it said was portrayed in a ‘monotonous, unglamorous fashion.’

‘The Gray Man’s utter charmlessness makes it clear that without the power of Marvel behind them, the Russos have nothing left in the tank,’ the outlet wrote. 

‘You can’t be a champion of accessible mainstream entertainment when your movies are no longer entertaining.’

The screenplay, which was written by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely, was adapted from a novel of the same name written by Mark Greanery. 

The New York Times was also quick to bash the film, writing in a review that it’s made up of a ‘barrage of bullets and one-liners.’

‘The caffeinated cuts and pacing never allow the audience to find its footing in the film’s large, expensive set pieces, which prevents the action from becoming truly thrilling,’ it wrote. 

Well-known movie critic Robert Ebert said the it felt like the Russos ‘ran off’ with Netflix’s money without ‘really caring what they delivered.’ 

‘People will watch The Gray Man by the millions. They just won’t be able to name a memorable thing about it a few days later,’ he said.

He said it was full of ‘clichés’ and ‘a blank protagonist,’ adding, ‘Seriously, it would be tough to name five characteristics of this hero that we’re supposed to follow for two hours. Never a good sign.’

With a star-studded cast of Gosling (second from left), De Armas (second from right), Chris Evans (right), Rege-Jean Page (left) and Billy Bob Thornton, many are excited for its premiere

With a star-studded cast of Gosling (second from left), De Armas (second from right), Chris Evans (right), Rege-Jean Page (left) and Billy Bob Thornton, many are excited for its premiere

However, numerous critics have ridiculed the flick, with one calling it 'formulaic, bland, unoriginal, and disappointingly mediocre'

However, numerous critics have ridiculed the flick, with one calling it ‘formulaic, bland, unoriginal, and disappointingly mediocre’

Another claimed the movie 'never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters' and said it lost 'all tension and excitement' due to its 'absurd editing'

Another claimed the movie ‘never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters’ and said it lost ‘all tension and excitement’ due to its ‘absurd editing’

Ebert called the ‘programmatically dull’ movie ‘a silly piece of popcorn entertainment that too often forgets that this kind of venture needs to be fun,’ and echoed DailyDot’s sentiment about the ‘bizarrely low lighting.’

‘Most of the film is shot at such a bizarrely low light that it dulls even the incredible screen presence of the undeniably charismatic Gosling, Evans, and de Armas,’ he continued.

Another claimed the movie 'never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters' and said it lost 'all tension and excitement' due to its 'absurd editing'

Another claimed the movie ‘never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters’ and said it lost ‘all tension and excitement’ due to its ‘absurd editing’

‘Seriously, whoever thought the right lighting for most of a globe-trotting action flick was the low light palette of Ozark deserves a cinematic jail sentence.’

Collider’s critic was also not a fan, and released a withering review of The Gray Man in its review – calling the movie ‘mediocre’ and slamming it for including ‘too many supporting characters without much to do.’

‘It’s clear that Netflix is hoping this will become a successful action franchise for them, but in trying to set up all these different threads and characters from the very beginning, it makes this deceptively simple story feel far too bloated at times,’ the outlet explained.

Collider added that The Gray Man ‘never gives the audience a reason to care about this mission or the characters.’

It added that the ‘big, dumb action film’ is ‘really just as simple as one man trying to kill another.’

‘One would think this would at least lead to some solid action sequences, but the Russo brothers film this like a superhero film, with every fight packed with too much smoke and constant, absurd editing that makes The Gray Man lose all tension and excitement,’ it wrote.

The only up side to the movie, according to Collider, is that both Gosling and Evans appeared to 'have a ball in these roles.' The outlet said Evans (pictured) 'went all-in as a villain'

The only up side to the movie, according to Collider, is that both Gosling and Evans appeared to 'have a ball in these roles.' The outlet said Evans (pictured) 'went all-in as a villain'

The only up side to the movie, according to Collider, is that both Gosling and Evans appeared to ‘have a ball in these roles.’ The outlet said Evans (pictured) ‘went all-in as a villain’

A DailyDot reporter said Gosling's character, Sierra Six (pictured), has 'no personality,' and that 'the characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars'

A DailyDot reporter said Gosling’s character, Sierra Six (pictured), has ‘no personality,’ and that ‘the characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars’

Despite the negative response from critics, some fans who got to see the flick during early screenings have come to its defense online

Despite the negative response from critics, some fans who got to see the flick during early screenings have come to its defense online

The only up side, according to Collider, is that both Gosling and Evans appeared to ‘have a ball in these roles.’

It added that ‘Gosling’s quiet humor is a great assist for this story,’ and praised Evans for ‘going all-in as a villain with no rules.’

‘But beyond these two endearing actors being able to gleefully chew the scenery, The Gray Man is mostly a collection of tired spy tropes, directed in a muddled and baffling way, that seemingly exists to set up what seems like will be a fairly unimaginative franchise,’ the outlet concluded.

While it received a low score of 53 per cent from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience gave the movie an 89 per cent. And despite the negative response from critics, some fans who got to see the flick during early screenings have come to its defense online. 

‘I loved The Gray Man. It was so good,’ one fan wrote on Twitter. ‘Chris did such an amazing job, I love watching him act.

‘Ryan was amazing too … Can’t wait to watch on Netflix. If you can go see it at a theater do it. Overall, I f**king loved it.’ 

Another added: ‘Just finished watching The Gray Man it was so so good! Definitely one of my favorites. Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas – my favorite trio. I need to rewatch the movie again.’

‘The Gray Man is great,’ gushed someone else. ‘What a blast. Loved it.’

‘I actually loved The Gray Man,’ read a fourth tweet. ‘It’s dumb and disorienting, but in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

‘Great set pieces and some fun, hammy performances. Chris Evans goes wild as the villain, making this a can’t miss.’

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