The Gray Man has reliable ingredients, but falls into many generic pitfalls. The characters are boring tropes, the story is cliche, there's a mediocre MacGuffin, the dialogue is lame, there are no themes or arcs, and the plot armor is excessive. Its action is the main emphasis, but it's predictable because The Gray Man is wholly formulaic. Plus, there aren't any lasting effects from the combat. Characters are injured for a scene, but their wounds often disappear. Therefore, despite extravagant set pieces, The Gray Man's absent tension is numbing. Gosling has charm and Evans is trying (maybe too hard), but there just isn't anything to emotionally invest in.
Conversely, The Gray Man is salvaged by competent technicals. Its star-studded cast is its claim to fame, but there's also complex sound, intentional music, and varied cinematography (though the drone work is overactive). Meanwhile, the editing is detailed but overcuts action scenes. Furthermore, the production design is inconsistently elaborate. This is exacerbated by overused CGI, which is distracting at times. Finally, the direction is mixed, managing an extensive project but failing to give it any distinct flair or an engaging tone. Instead, The Gray Man feels fairly monotonous and common. Overall, it's an acceptable film, but hardly memorable.
Writing: 3/10
Direction: 5/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Acting: 6/10
Editing: 6/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Production Design: 6/10
Casting: 9/10
Effects: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.2/10
Comments