'The Gray Man' review: Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans go into spy mode as Netflix flexes its action muscles

Indeed, "Gray Man" comes from the "Red Notice" school of loud, if not-all-those-colorful Netflix action movies, where casting, social media influence, and superhero cred in the main cast render the quality essentially irrelevant. Don't mind the movie, the poster alone, including the "Avengers" directors, the Russo brothers, practically makes for astronomical "minutes viewed" figures.

But even less than "Red," "Gray Man" doesn't quite live up to the hype, including the obligatory theatrical release to grease the wheels for its gushing attack.

Based on the book series, the film serves as the latest iteration of the Bond-Bourne genre, but plays even more than most spy-versus-spy shenanigans as an excuse for the elaborate action sequences and insane stunt work, which have some real highlights, but also yield a gradually diminishing return, especially on the last part.

Whether Gosling wants a future as the shadowy CIA assassin known only as Six remains to be seen (he jokes that 007 was already taken), but this is a modest, if perhaps inevitable, addition to his eclectic resume. As if to underscore the point, Evans' character mockingly refers to him as a "Ken doll," a sly reference to his next foray into the fringes of franchise moviemaking.

Gosling's Court Gentry, of course, is plucked from prison to kill for the CIA, operating in a gray realm that, to quote the old song, gives him a number and takes away his name. But Six's latest mission puts him in the possession of information that makes him dangerous to those above him, and threatens everyone from his colleague at that operation (The Armas) to the now-retired handler (Billy Bob Thornton) who recruited him.

Taking out Six, however, requires some big guns, which explains why those who want to kill him hire Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a sociopathic hit man who brags, "I can kill anyone" — a claim Six puts to the test — - and cares little about collateral damage or keeping "secret" actions, to an almost comical degree.

The chase takes clients around the world, and to raise the bar even higher, comes an endangered child with a heart condition (Julia Butters, who is already developing quite the resume after "Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood") to give Six something to fight for outside of himself.

The screenplay (credited to co-directors Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely) does contain some sly humor, and Evans, in particular, seems to enjoy vile villains after his squeaky clean, star-studded image. Still, a torture sequence to show how bad he is feels somewhat gratuitous.

Ultimately, "The Gray Man" is an unintentionally apt title to describe a film that is within such a narrow band of the cinematic spectrum. While it's a step up from the Russos' latest streaming effort, the bleak "Cherry," it's the equivalent of an old "B" movie with an A-level cast and budget.

At one point, Six dismisses the risks and punishment he endures by saying, "Another Thursday." While "Gray Man" isn't so mundane, in the larger scheme of Netflix's blockbuster movie-making adventures, it feels like just another action movie.

“The Gray Man” will premiere in select U.S. theaters on July 15 and July 22 on Netflix. It is rated PG-13.