Wondering if The Gray Man is ok for kids? This action thriller from The Russo Brothers and starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling is one of the most highly anticipated movies this summer. Some kids and teens may be excited for this film, especially if they are Marvel fans. Although it’s packed with a lot of action and incredible fight sequences, The Gray Man does lack story. Here’s what parents need to know in The Gray Man Parents Guide.
The Gray Man Parents Guide
Ryan Gosling stars as “Six,” a guy doing time in prison and who is recruited while behind bars by CIA agent and boss, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton). In exchange for a commuted sentence, Six agrees to do the CIA’s dirty work, since he’s so good at killing people. Come to find out, there are others who were recruited for the same thing. When Six meets “Four” and is hired to kill him, the job goes bad, and Four hands over some evidence that Six might want to look into. With the dirty agents afraid that Six will uncover their secrets, they hire a psychopath, Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) to retrieve the asset and get rid of Six once and for all.
Why is The Gray Man Rated PG-13?
The Gray Man is rated PG-13 for strong violence and strong language which means some content may not be suitable for kids under 13.
Is The Gray Man Kid Friendly?
While The Gray Man is not kid-friendly for all kids, older kids and teens can handle it as long as they’re ok with action and violence.
You can expect to see some smoking and alcohol use as well as plenty of death and fight sequences in The Gray Man.
Language
There is profanity in The Gray Man including at least 11 uses of sh*t/bullsh*t, 5 uses of a**/a**hole, and a few uses of bit*h, damn, di*k, and a use of bastard, g-d, douche, and Christ’s sake.
Action
There is a lot of action/violence in The Gray Man which is basically a killing spree and the body count is high. You’ll see plenty of weapons used like guns, knives, grenades and plenty of explosions, car crashes, and torturing of victims. A character uses electricity to torture a character and uses pliers to pull off another’s fingernails. There is not a ton of blood or gore, but more action like The Bourne Identity movies.
Mature Content in The Gray Man
There is no sexual content, besides a couple of suggestive references.
Some characters drink alcohol and smoke.
A child is kidnapped and in peril.
A child is burned with a cigarette.
Is The Gray Man Appropriate for Kids Under 13?
If the story sounds familiar in The Gray Man, it’s because it is. Corrupt CIA agents/government agency, questionable good guy with moral compass on the run while stopping at nothing because a loved one is in danger. The story is unoriginal, nor does it offer any sort of new twist or high stakes, which is probably the most disappointing thing for a Russo Brothers movie. I know you know how to make a bomb movie, Russo Brothers! By the end of it, I thought, what was the point of that?
The Gray Man is ok for teens, especially for those who enjoy this type of genre. There are plenty of topics of discussion with kids like consequences of actions, the definition of a hero, murder, lying, theft, dishonesty…you know all the good stuff.
I wanted to love The Gray Man; it’s set up for a winning formula – big budget, all-star cast and directors, amazing supporting cast, huge action scenes…but it just falls flat.
There are certainly great things about the film. If you love action and CIA movies, then you’ll probably be able to overlook some of the overproduction. And although the script could have provided Ryan Gosling with more, he’s still fantastic. Stoic and charming, he made me chuckle. However, his backstory didn’t provide the emotional punch this movie needed.
Chris Evans is a slimy bad guy. It’s fun to see him so different from his Captain America alter ego. He proved that in Knives Out, and he gives off solid d-bag vibes in The Gray Man. So much so that I kept wishing Six would just punch that creepy smirk off his face. But again, it felt a little familiar. Maybe because I also saw him in Lobby Hero with that haircut and mustache on Broadway. The loafers and military hair did throw me for a loop.
I appreciated that the females in the film weren’t just eye candy and sexualized. Ana de Armas, Alfre Woodard, and Julia Butters all brought their A-game. Kick-butt and courageous, these SHEroes showed the men how it’s done. So again, why wasn’t this movie better?
The Gray Man isn’t terrible, it just could have been so much more. This cat and mouse chase needed more heart, more substance. A point to the ridiculousness.
The film was fun to watch on the big screen, but I also would have been fine saving my money and watching it online. Work out the kinks and the end game, and I’ll watch more of these films for Netflix.
