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The Gray Man

  • 24-05-2022 3:21pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,798 ✭✭✭


    Netflix's most expensive movie to date, at an apparent budget of $200m. Directed by the Russo Brothers and has a solid cast (Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Rege Jean Page, Dhanush for the South Asian market, Billy Bob Thornton). Released on 22 July.

    For me, seems extremely generic and low on plot considering the fact it's a new IP and they've assembled that level of cast. Chris Evans seems to be having fun though.




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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60,976 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson


    I know it is a liitle thing however the way Alfre Woodard put the cigarette in her mouth @ 1.11 turned me off the whole thing and I know it's only a split second scene I just went to myself pretentious bollix from the Russo's with their £200m budget.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    $200 million? That's insane and with the recent subscription / stock price plummet I'd hope Netflix start to wind their neck in a little with these (vanity) projects. I can't look at this, then hear of department closures, cancellations or job losses and think cool.

    This looks slick, empty and utterly artless, and the timing of releasing this a day after the newest Mission Impossible trailer only serves to highlight how flaccid this latest action blockbuster is. This was a bad marketing decision.

    But what do I know? Red Notice apparently broke records for Netflix so presumably all those people paring socks, posting to Instagram, or checking football scores while "watching" stuff like this will be happy enough.

    Post edited by pixelburp on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    That feels like a Captain America Winter Soldier fightey type feel.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,359 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    Looks fun to me!

    Red Notice was an odd one....it was dreadful (well the 10 minutes I watched) but two more on the way someone must have liked it...



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87,874 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    Chris as the hamming it up cool villain looks dumb fun



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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    200 million on generic nonsense by the looks of it



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭Mr Crispy


    Had no idea it was that expensive when I first saw the trailer... Netflix really have lost the run of themselves.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    As I said in my own post, balanced against their financial woes it's insane this is the kind of money they throw around on these projects. (Though to be fair, I think this had shot before the recent subscription and stock price drops). Of course Gosling and Evans will get their payday for this - god knows if the rest of the crew will, given Netflix's fondness to (apparently) screw crews over with their contracts.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    Netflix have started the push with this, releasing a "full" clip of some action. The smoke and dust looks very CGI, which ain't great; nor was the quippy dialogue. Or indeed the action itself.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,798 ✭✭✭speedboatchase


    It says everything about Netflix's current strategy that I had to bump this thread up from page 3 eight days before the release of its new $200m blockbuster. Zero hype.



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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    Yup, I've seen almost zero promotion, and only because some reviews started to trickle in via outlets I read or letterboxd that I even know this is about to be released. But something like Stranger Things had countdowns, trailers- all sorts of hype; I'd love to know why these over-budgeted movies receive none of that kind of support.

    If Netflix was a person, I'd be asking if they were OK; the company seems to be spiralling.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 29,807 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    Broadly speaking, there are two type of lavish Netflix project:

    • Auteur passion projects nobody else will fund (can go either way quality-wise)
    • Mediocre, over-expensive, c-tier blockbusters forgotten in a week

    Going by the reviews - most of which suggest this is aggressively mediocre - it seems we're definitively in category two here.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,798 ✭✭✭speedboatchase


    I recall an article that said since their recent earnings report and subsequent cutbacks, they're going to put a stop to the first category.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,552 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    that looks terrible.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 29,807 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    Yep, that's what appears to be going down. We still have a few left to go at least - Noah Baumbach's White Noise (which has apparently had quite the production story) and Andrew Dominik's Blonde among them. But after that it seems like the thirst for content will seemingly very much be prioritising Red Notice / Gray Man type productions.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp




  • Registered Users Posts: 7,014 ✭✭✭conorhal


    As a fan of the books, (they're pretty entertaining beach read thriller guff) I don'trecognize the story or characters from the books that the film is based on from this very generic looking trailer. Granted, it's just a trailer and those can be deceptive, but this looks like yet another 'netfix adaption' that really has nothing to do with the source material.



  • Posts: 18,962 [Deleted User]


    Can't believe nobody told the director that Movember is over.



  • Posts: 18,962 [Deleted User]


    Reviews coming in and very much on the "mediocre" side of the scale

    Another 200 million Netflix splurge looking like bringing in a poor ROI - very much like "Red Notice"



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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    It's weird we have a major Netflix film that isn't actually available on the service yet. Was going to see how it has done with its limited release, but there's no actual listing on boxofficemojo, ha.



  • Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭WillmaDickfit


    whens it released on Netflix ?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60,976 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson




  • Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭WillmaDickfit


    is that in cinemas? I thought it was later on Netflix, like end of August



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 87,874 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    I saw a poster for it at the cinema thought only on Netflix



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    Was listening to Grace talk about it and from what I can tell, the business end is that they can enter award nominations if they do a bit of a cinema release. Doesn't have to be huge or anything.



  • Registered Users Posts: 231 ✭✭Roxxers


    enjoyed it



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,359 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    Very watchable, the plot is what it is a predictable rehash of other similar books/films, well worth it for the action scenes, Evans has a lot of fun, Gosling was very good, but Ana De Armas is terrific between this and bond she needs to be given her own action film already!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,815 ✭✭✭SimonTemplar


    Yes I agree about De Armas. She needs her own action movie to showcase her talents in that genre, like Atomic Blonde or Mad Max for Charlize Theron. If the Bond producers had any sense, they'd commission a Paloma spin off while we are in this Bond lull between actors. I believe they are strongly against spin offs because they see it as diluting their brand. That is probably true of all previous spin off ideas (such as Halle Berry's Jinx) but Paloma was universally praised in No Time To Die and De Armas is very popular at the moment. It seems like a no brainer.



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  • Posts: 18,962 [Deleted User]


    didn't have time to finish it - watched about 2/3's of it

    will finish it out for sure

    dumb fare but just about watchable

    Evans not a bad villain in white pants



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60,976 ✭✭✭✭Agent Coulson


    She has been signed up for the new John Wick spin off Ballerina so I would say that will be her solo action movie.


    Enjoyable two hours of nonsense action still hard to see where 200m went.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,359 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    Terrific hadn't heard about that one.

    Yeah I am guessing a lot went on the stars.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    Well, Red Notice's stars, Reynolds, Gadot and The Rock all gained $20 million each so fair guess the stars of this got similar. Maybe even the Russo's too given they're a big enough directorial name ATM.



  • Posts: 18,962 [Deleted User]


    Finished it off from 2/3's in and it was largely downhill from there

    The last location gunfight and fight went on far too long and then there was a clumsy wrap up sequence to follow.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 29,807 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    A pretty poor effort overall. It’s better than most ludicrously-budgeted Netflix action blockbusters (it’s a bland two-star film compared to the one-star dregs of Bright) but that is damning it with the faintest of praise.

    Reminiscent of Mission Impossible or John Wick, but with none of the artistry or vivid spectacle of those two series at their best. The Russos sadly remain pretty awful action directors, too fond of gimmick shots and disorientating, rapid edits. The stunts, movement and impacts are undermined because the camera doesn’t stay with them long enough, and there’s no proper sense of danger or risk at any stage. It’s just loud noises and explosions slapped together, with no grace or tension. No doubt the budget went into the various elaborate setpieces, but it’s still a worse version of better series: the filmic equivalent of a eurostore usb cable that just about does the job for two hours before being thrown aside.

    The plane sequence is the worst offender here: just incoherent, weightless nothingness. The video game Uncharted 3 did it more convincingly a decade ago, and as the Uncharted film also proved there’s a reason why you shouldn’t just try to adapt breathless, silly video game action sequences into cinema.The Prague sequence at least has some old-school, indulgent spectacle to it, but even that collapses into unconvincing CG nonsense by the end.

    Gosling does Gosling (no more and no less… well, maybe a little less), and Evans’ character is just too much of a caricature of a murderously obnoxious asshole to be much of a menacing villain. Ana de Armas and Jessica Henwick continue to impress to the point where it’d surely be a better use of resources to just make a film with those two at the centre. De Armas gets plenty to do, at least, but she needs to actually lead a film like this now rather than playing second fiddle: she’s more than capable of it, and infinitely more charismatic on screen than Gosling just doing his thing yet again.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,855 ✭✭✭crushproof


    Gimmicky Saturday night popcorn action movie flick. Relies on poor CGI and camera angles/moves that move far too quickly to take in the action.

    The amount of poor CGI really annoyed me and it boggles the mind how they spent $200mil. As someone who's been to Prague a few times it was enjoyable seeing some of the action scenes there. Also obvious that the early Baku scenes were Prague.

    The highlight was De Armas, she was superb and continues to impress. And always good to see Billy Bob.



  • Registered Users Posts: 522 ✭✭✭Full_Circle_81


    I thought it was just OK, but immediately forgettable. Gosling, who can certainly impress when he wants, feels like hes sleep-walking through the movie (but maybe thats just the character?). Evans, while clearly enjoying himself in the role, feels like hes acting in a completely different movie. Regé-Jean Page was a bland nothing with zero menace. And the tone removes any sense of danger from proceedings, with a funny quip being injected after every potential moment of tension.

    As others have mentioned, the one highlight was De Armas who oozed more charima and easy charm than the rest of the cast combined.

    And the Russos use of "cool new swooping camera" got old fast, as did they repeated use of GIANT TEXT to denote all the various locations every couple of minutes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,280 ✭✭✭naughtysmurf


    Watched it last night, 4/10



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,871 ✭✭✭Alkers


    Us too, I wouldn't even give it that, I though it was one of the worst movies I've seen in recent.years



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,552 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Not the biggest fan of ryan gosling but the did say much in this so he was bearable. Evans was great chewing the scenery but ana de armas was the real star.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 513 ✭✭✭The DayDream


    Such a piece of utterly expensive crap



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,718 ✭✭✭Gusser09


    Extremely enjoyable film.



  • Registered Users Posts: 322 ✭✭pjcb


    are the books any good?



  • Posts: 18,962 [Deleted User]


    I tried one - didn't think much of it

    if you like that sort of easy thriller book fare I've found these the best (although the very latest one was not as good but the ones before were -start from the beginning)

    Orphan X aren't too bad either




  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,711 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    I gotta stop watching these open chequebook Netflix blockbusters; every single one has been the most forgettable, artless, algorithmic wastes of space. Yet because my eyeballs contributed to their statistics I'm giving the service carte blanche to keep making these bloated time-wasters. I genuinely watched this with an open mind, on a lazy Sunday afternoon and with no expectations. I was ready to be pleasantly surprised.

    Instead, what I watched was an overlong attempt at the espionage-action thriller by a pair of genuinely talentless hacks; brothers who have failed upwards 'cos they assembled (ho-ho) a bajillion superheroes into two movies & it didn't fly apart at the seams. Now. There is a lot to be said for the Competent Pair of Hands: the likes of Martin Campbell, Richard Donner and - to use modern examples - James Mangold or Christopher McQuarrie proved that you don't have to be some mad, visually inventive auteur to helm a crowdpleaser. Just know how to structure scenes, build a story's momentum - and knowing how to shoot action helps too. The Russo's chaotic over-editing killed every single action set-piece, robbing them of their tension and basic coherence. Swooping drone shots often disorienting, rather than thrilling - Michael Bay's own recent work demonstrating better use of this frontier-pushing technology.

    The Netflix slushpile was obviously spent on the endless parade of whistle-stop visits to international locations, serving no real purpose except in a shameless attempt to Do a Bond - but Bond remembered to heighten the glamour of those foreign locales - not cover them with smoke & moody lighting for the sake of it. A big central location was a gloriously ostentatious palace, yet the Russo's shot it behind gloomy light, inexplicable smoke, and a tonne of fancy lighting.

    And I didn't pick up the excitement for Ana DeArmis' character; she did nothing, except occasionally look pensive behind her stylish haircut; while Chris Evans' borderline cocaine-mania performance only distracted more than it entertained. We get it Chris, you don't wanna be typecast as Captain America; stop overcorrecting. The dialogue was generally awful, really trying for Shane Black style snark but none of it landed. "If you wanna make an omelette, you gotta kill some people". Okay. But that's this mess to a tee: The Russo's really, realllly wanted to bit a bit John Wick; a bit Shane Black; a bit Bond; a bit Bourne; a bit everything without ever making any of those ingredients work.



  • Subscribers Posts: 41,915 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    bubble gum movie with an instantly forgettable generic plot.

    its on netflix so you may as well watch it if youve a free couple of hours with nothing else to do.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭magic_murph


    Decent brain candy action coupled with comedy but not Ryan Reynolds over the top comedy.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,839 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    Can someone explain what "algorithmic" means in this context, please? The New Statesman used that word in a negative manner about this film as well.

    I watched it last night. It's... watch and forget stuff. Much of it hinges on how one responds to Chris Evans' character. I liked it but if I didn't, I'd have hated this. Gosling seems to have no charisma or depth to his character but then, that may have been the point.

    The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

    Leviticus 19:34



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,552 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail




  • Registered Users Posts: 910 ✭✭✭FlubberJones


    Watched on the weekend... it felt like the whole thing was shot by fast moving drones, at times it was incredibly annoying.

    It has a great cast and the I'm a fan of the leads, finding them completely watchable but the film was meh.



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