Related Articles
In the film, super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.
Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre
The film also stumbles when trying to play up the mysterious villain element. For everything this movie does so well, this seemed a bit half-baked like Guy Ritchie had a good idea then midway through that idea left him and he just gave up on it. Perhaps it was the runtime which did not allow the time to get those ideas through, but nevertheless it was a weak concept that should have been better.
Outside of these poorly handled elements, everything else was truly fun from beginning to end. Guy Ritchie as a filmmaker is very hit or miss, but when he hits he hits big. There are good reasons that Snatch or the aforementioned The Gentleman are so beloved. Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre is one of his only movies that has elicited such laughter and fun, but based on his style it is mediocre at best.
The one thing Guy Ritchie does in his films perfectly is direct his action scenes. The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Sherlock Holmes, hell, even his worst film King Arthur has very dynamic action sequences, and Operation Fortune does not disappoint on this front. The stunt department deserves a raise for killing it with all the stunts throughout this journey.
When watching Operation Fortune, you cannot help but think of Paul Feig’s Spy, but better, maybe because of the larger presence of Jason Statham. Regardless, this film will have you dying of laughter pretty consistently. Aubrey Plaza needs to be in more spy movies because she exudes the effortless type of cool that these movies require. Does this movie warrant a recommendation? Yes, because it’s a good time at theaters. If you are willing to overlook some of the more surface-level deficiencies, you will find a lot to enjoy. Despite the lack of character development and a weak mystery angle, the actors makes it a fun time with action that keeps you engaged until the end.
