The Gray Man

Six: "How'd you find me?"
Miranda: "You make a lot of noise."

release year: 2022
genre: action
viewing setting: streaming 3/27/23

synopsis: An elite assassin is betrayed by his own department, and fights to survive.

impressions: Outstanding. Just like some of the Bourne movies and Shooter, this gives us an ultra-competent hero who can think and act on his feet. I read the first book in this series a decade ago so I was familiar with the basic concept; they added some supporting characters to ease the path to the big screen, and that was fine. This has plenty of action and gunplay and hand-to-hand fighting, and definitely meets the high bar set by the action movies of the 2010s and 2020s.

acting: Ryan Gosling is low-key as the protagonist; he doesn't talk or explain much, he just fights and wins. Chris Evans is the psychotic field agent/mercenary who is often completely over the top. Ana de Armas is another agent who decides to help the hero. Billy Bob Thornton is the older agent who recruited the main guy. "Dhanush" is another agent who comes into the conflict. Rege-Jean Page is the evil government mastermind and betrayer. Jessica Henwick is another high-ranking official who has her own agenda. Julia Butters is an innocent pawn in the events here.

final word: Great action-packed spy/combat adventure in the vein of The Bourne Identity.

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