One of Netflix’s best original films is a wild action romp.

Directors Although Joe and Anthony Russo have enjoyed considerable success within the MCU, their careers outside of the comic book movies they have adapted for the screen haven’t exactly been filled with box office hits.

Although their debut film, Welcome To Collinwood, featured George Clooney, it wasn’t exactly a box office success. Additionally, You, Me, and Dupree, a comedy featuring Owen-Wilson and their second film under their direction, was a really lacklustre effort that failed to make audiences laugh.

Thankfully, Captain America: Winter Soldier, their next release, was fantastic. The successful Avengers films that followed marked the conclusion of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because of these triumphs, there were very high expectations for their subsequent film, Cherry, but despite my own enjoyment of it, few critics agreed with me.

How about The Gray Man, then? Expectations were high, but there was no guarantee that this would be an Avengers-style smash because most of the directors’ films outside of the MCU have underwhelmed.

Fortunately, I’m delighted to inform that their most recent film is actually rather enjoyable. If you want spy thrillers with lots of action, it’s not quite on the same level as their superhero extravaganzas but it is undoubtedly an improvement over their prior films.

If Ryan Gosling is a favourite of yours, you’ll have even more incentive to watch this action-packed adventure as Sierra 6, the super-slick murdering machine played by Courtland Gentry, Sierra 6.

The plot is the weakest aspect of the film because it adheres rigidly to formula and contains few surprises. The CIA recruits and trains Gosling’s character, who is initially serving a murder sentence in jail, to secretly eliminate the vicious bad individuals that Uncle Sam wants to get rid of.

However, as is customary in films of this kind, he is ultimately forced to go rogue when the agency turns against him (for reasons I won’t reveal here for fear of spoilers) and he must battle for his life when a mercenary is dispatched to eliminate him by any means necessary.

Agent plotlines.

This concept has been used in the Mission Impossible and Bourne films, and many other films, such as Salt and Licence to Kill, have contained rogue agent plotlines.

The Gray Man, luckily, is able to rise above its stale plot with some memorable action sequences. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a movie being predictable if it can stand out in other ways.

Following a sequence where Gentry escapes from the police after being shackled to a bench at the beginning of the film, we get a chase scene through Prague filled with bullets, followed by more thrilling action scenes both on the ground and in the air.

Gosling does a fantastic job, and in some of the most exciting parts of the film, he manages to compete with John Wick. He is intriguing to watch as he confronts bad men, bonds with a girl he was once a protector for, and struts around the screen in a snappy scarlet suit looking every inch the badass that he was trained to be. He is credible as both an action hero and a troubled soul with a horrible family history.

Big action star

There is currently no information available regarding a sequel to this film, but if Netflix viewers find it to be a success, it may be the beginning of a very intriguing franchise. There are presently 10 books about Courtland Gentry (and at least one more is in the works), so there is definitely enough for Gosling to become the next big action star.

It would be a letdown if this was his sole turn as the slick assassin of the title; he has the skills and the looks to rival Bond, Bourne, and all of the other heroes who have graced our screens.

Gosling isn’t the only actor to stand out in the film; Chris Evans also does a commendable job as Lloyd Hansen, a mercenary hired by Regé-Jean Page’s Carmichael, a dubious character operating at the highest levels of the CIA, to kill him.

Evans is properly slimy and smarmy as Hansen, which is the exact opposite of the Captain America persona he has now come to be most closely identified with. Hansen doesn’t have as much background as Gentry does, but this rarely matters because we care more about him getting his ass kicked than finding out about his prior professional accomplishments.

Evans and Ana de Armas, who plays CIA operative Dani Miranda and steps up to back Gentry when he becomes rogue, both deliver in the action stakes. Although she has other concerns, such as some shady activities inside her department, these pale in comparison to the action she and her male co-stars engage in.

At many ways, this is a summer popcorn film that is better enjoyed at home than in a theatre, but you may have the choice to do so because it has also been given a theatrical release.

It’s undoubtedly one of the best Netflix Original films the streaming service has invested in, and it’s much less cheesy than the similarly big-budget Red Notice, which was an entertaining but pointless action thriller.

The skilled direction

This one stands out because to its excellent cast, which also features Alfre Woodard and Billy Bob Thornton, and the skilled direction of the Russo Brothers, who create several thrilling set-pieces.

Despite the old plot aspects that some may find irritating, this film is mostly pleasant to see and may be recommended, even though it will never be regarded as an action masterpiece.

If you don’t expect a lot of wits over brawn, you might have as much fun with this as I did. It’s one of Netflix’s more expensive films, but for once, the high production expenditures and our higher subscription rates are justified.