When Jason Statham is the lead of any movie, you can expect many punching or gun-toting scenes. Well good news – the Guy Ritchie-directed flick “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” doesn’t have a shortage of these, for sure!
In fact, this action-comedy starts with a bloody shootout involving criminals who steal a MacGuffin (look it up) that needs to be retrieved. To that end, the British government directs Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) to assemble a team for the job.
Enter Orson Fortune (Statham), the kind of hero necessary to movies like this one, who’s charming and debonair but gets the job done. Rounding up the team are Sarah Fidel (a delightful Aubrey Plaza) and JJ Davies (Bugzy Malone).
Together, they need to infiltrate a party hosted by arms dealer Greg Simmons (Hugh Grant), whom they suspect is involved in the theft. To do this, they rope in the unwitting Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), an egotistical movie star Simmons idolises, who is tasked with distracting the bad guy.
And off they go, from one exotic location to another in typical spy-movie fashion to locate the aforementioned item, later revealed to be an advanced artificial intelligence that can be programmed to defeat any security system in the world. (In other words, what ChatGPT might become. But never mind.)
So, what stands out here? Well, the first thing you would notice about “Operation Fortune” is that it’s beautiful. Very beautiful.
From the charming streets of Madrid to a luxurious villa in Turkey, there’s no shortage of colourful and vibrant settings, making you wish you were somewhere in the background with a glass of wine. Before the shooting starts, of course.
Indeed, there are plenty of car chases, shootouts, and beatdowns, enough to satisfy the adrenaline junkie in the audience. When Francesco and Fidel are in a shiny striped red Mustang chased by Simmons’ men, it’s glorious, complete with machine guns and even a helicopter at the end. Props to Ritchie for exercising restraint by not turning Francesco into a sudden expert driver who can perform outlandish stunts!
Performance-wise, Plaza is memorable as the tech guy (or girl) of the team. She delivers her lines and occasional jokes with sass, playing an excellent supporting character who steals scenes with ease.
Then there’s Hartnett’s Francesco, who lightens those tension-filled moments with his constant state of fear and confusion, clearly out of his depth among the skilled agents.
He interacts the most with Grant, who plays his part expertly: cheerful and fun-loving on the surface, but able to turn dark and deadly on the flip of a coin. One particular scene at the climax shows you how dangerous he can be, and it’s terrifying and compelling both at once.
For all its strengths, however, “Operation Fortune” has its share of weaknesses. For example, Simmons and Francesco often feel more interesting than the main characters, and you may find yourself wishing they had more screen time.
Then there’s Statham’s title character. Statham is charismatic, yes, but as the leader of the team, he is rather two-dimensional; sadly, the movie doesn’t delve into what makes him tick beyond a fondness for fine wine and vacations.
And while his fight scenes are original and enjoyable, you can’t help but feel it’s a role the “Fast and Furious” alum could play in his sleep by now.
As for the plot, skilled agents traversing the globe to retrieve a potential world-ending item has been done so many times, this feels like yet another rehash of a well-worn trope.
Also lacking is Ritchie’s trademark witty banter: there are some funny lines here and there, but on the whole the dialogue is average at best, and corny at worst.
Overall, “Operation Fortune” isn’t perfect or as charming as Ritchie’s underrated “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, but it does take you on a thrill ride regardless. And let’s face it, this is probably what most viewers are looking for in a film such as this: big action set pieces, and good-looking people kicking butt on the big screen.
As of press time, ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.