THE GRAY MAN

Cert 15

128 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, domestic abuse

The Gray Man is a classic big screen movie and yet, here we were, watching it at home

Sure, we have a 65-inch telly but the incessant action would have grabbed much more if we had seen it at the cinema.

Nevertheless, two of the most prolific film-goers in the country slobbed on the couch, gorging on Netflix.

The streaming giant may have just announced a huge dip in viewers but it is still putting up huge-budget productions with stellar casts.

At an estimated $200m, The Russo Brothers' movie is the most expensive Netflix movie to date with filming locations in France, the Czech Republic, Thailand, Croatia, Austria, Azerbaijan and the United States.

It is easy to see where the money went. The special effects smack the viewer in the face from the opening scenes until its conclusion.

The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling as a prison inmate who is facing life in jail for murder until he is given a pass out by a mysterious visitor (Billy Bob Thornton).

It transpires that the latter is a CIA handler and, in return for his 'freedom' Gosling's character must work for the agency as an assassin.

We move on more than a decade and the former inmate is now known simply as Six and has become the CIA's most effective operative.

However, he steps out of line with his new and ruthless boss (Regé-Jean Page) and suddenly, the hunter becomes the hunted.

Leading the chase is a psychotic mercenary (Chris Evans) who vows to track him down whatever the collateral damage.

And, of course, there is plenty.

Indeed, the mayhem submerges what begins as an intriguing plot and also the potential of Gosling showing off his considerable acting qualities.

Only Evans is required to show his range and camps it up, pantomime-villain style.

I quite enjoyed Gray Man but Mrs W was more scathing, believing she had seen so many similar spy movies done better.

I could see what she meant but I needed a film where my brain could be in neutral and this ticked the box..