The Russo Brothers' latest spy thriller has already proven to be a huge commercial hit, with The Gray Man nabbing Netflix's fifth biggest opening week ever. It's clear that audiences worldwide are watching the movie, and movie fans on Twitter are already beginning to share their thoughts.
The Russo Brothers have been fairly hit-or-miss since they stopped collaborating with Marvel Studios on the Avengers movies, but so far, it seems like The Gray Man is shaping up to be one of their best-received projects so far (at least outside of the MCU).
Exciting Villains
One of the many talents of Joe and Anthony Russo is their ability to write compelling and engaging villains in their stories. Both Chris Evans and Rege Jean-Page master their roles in the film, both stealing the screen whenever they appear.
As @dapiiralex notes, Evans and Jean-Page were both absolutely detestable characters in The Gray Man - which is exactly what they were supposed to be. It made Six's journey even more compelling, with their huge egos constantly raising the stakes and putting the film's heroes in increasing danger.
Barbie References
There was one particular line in The Gray Man that caught plenty of eagle-eared viewers by surprise regarding the rivalry between Ryan Gosling's character Six and Chris Evans' dark antagonist Lloyd. In the midst of all the action, Lloyd offhandedly refers to his nemesis as a 'ken doll,' which caused many movie fans to turn their heads.
The joke (noted by @leointhejungle) refers to Gosling's role as Ken in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Barbie movie, which remains one of the most anticipated releases of 2023. Whether intentional or not, the line made for a funny inside joke that will likely fly past plenty of viewers.
Unique Facial Hair
The Gray Man is an extremely entertaining and lighthearted movie, in spite of its somewhat dark and intense plot. A lot of this tonal balance comes down to Evans' performance as Lloyd - a dangerously unhinged hitman with huge weapons and an even bigger personality.
Many fans have made comments about Evans' mustache in the film, claiming that it perfectly resembles his unique and stylish mannerisms. Twitter user @iscotchdotca even likens him to Freddie Mercury, which is a perfect way of describing both his appearance and his larger-than-life personality.
Action-Packed
Some audiences have criticized The Gray Man for its overly simplistic plot and lack of depth, but that's actually a feature that many viewers enjoyed about the film. It's extremely easy to follow, and the lack of complexity allows it to revel in its excessive style and flair.
Twitter user @thelotachukwu praises the Russos' film as "the best action film I've seen this year," which many audiences clearly agree with, judging from its impressive opening week. It's the kind of action movie that the whole family can enjoy - mindlessly entertaining without demanding too much from its audience.
A Different Kind Of Role
Chris Evans is obviously most famous for playing Captain America in the MCU, and his role as Lloyd in The Gray Man was a bit of an adjustment for many audiences, such as @shush_larawk. He admittedly did a great job in the end, but it can take a while to get used to seeing Captain America being so carelessly evil.
Obviously, Chris Evans has done plenty of great movies outside the MCU, but it's the role of Steve Rogers that many audiences will remember him by. Since retiring from the role, he also played the unknown villain of Knives Out, so it's clear that his career is taking a turn in a different direction.
An Inevitable Result
Although the action sequences in The Gray Man are a lot of fun, Twitter user @acadjmia raises an important point about the stakes of the movie. It admittedly suffers from a lack of actual risk, as the audience knows that Gosling's character is pretty much going to get away with everything, regardless of who's against him.
It certainly doesn't stop The Gray Man from being a fun film, but it does admittedly kill the momentum a little when the audience knows exactly how each action scene is going to play out - and it's with Gosling's character walking away completely unscathed.
Room For A Sequel
It's already been announced that The Gray Man will be receiving a sequel with Ryan Gosling returning in the lead role, which is clearly something that many fans of the film wanted. Twitter user @simeonboxco agrees, stating that there's plenty of room for this universe to expand.
Ryan Gosling has famously avoided sequels in the past, so it's surprising that The Gray Man was the film that finally persuaded him to enter into a franchise. However, many movie fans would much rather see Gosling in a sequel to some of his other films.
Problems With Adaptation
Not everybody will be aware that the Russos' The Gray Man is actually an adaptation of Mark Greaney's book series of the same name - and there are obviously problems that consistently arise when adapting literary works to the screen.
Twitter user @ryangoesing points this out, reminding audiences that the original 'The Gray Man' series was originally more than one book, so it's impossible to include everything within the confines of two hours, even when the story moves as quickly as it does in this film.
Great Action Sequences
Many fans of The Gray Man are praising the film's inventive action sequences, of which there are plenty. There's hardly a minute that goes by in the film without either a fist fight or car chase, and they're all shot in fun and inventive ways that keep them feeling fresh and new.
In a response to @therealsupes' appraisal of the action in Shang-Chi (which has some of the best MCU action sequences ever), Twitter user @hemusingh_ argues that The Gray Man deserves the same level of praise for its creative set pieces and camerawork.
Memorable Performances
As Twitter user @stephenvking notes, both Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling are outstanding in The Gray Man, with the former stealing the show as an eccentric supervillain and the latter carrying the film with a compelling and charismatic lead performance. Without those two at the helm, it's hard to imagine that The Grey Man would have been even half as successful.
Gosling has already signed on to appear in The Gray Man's upcoming sequel, so anybody that enjoyed his presence in the film can rest assured that he'll be reprising his role in the future. The actor that he'll be facing off against, however, is still up in the air.