James Bond, Mission Impossible, Austin Powers and so many more fall Into the spy/espionage movie genre. A genre that is grand in scale and often takes the viewer all around the world. A genre that I really love and admire when done correctly. There have been many releases that fall into this category as of late or at least pays homage to the movies before them. One franchise that started to standout recently is Kingsman. By taking some risks, that franchise brought a new modern flavor to the spy genre and has its own character. One of the most important aspects for these type of movies has to be amazing dialogue. Now, a director that has always been great with smart dialogue, is Guy Ritchie. When I heard that he was doing a spy movie with Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza, I was of course super excited. A perfect director for this genre, who has made some incredible movies and this one has an all-star cast. After many delays and what seemed like no advertising, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre has finally arrived. I did become concerned that the movie wasn’t well made, because of the delays and lack of commercials. I am happy to say that Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a great addition to the spy genre. It doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, but gets everything right and that's all that matters.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a great time with hilarious moments and one that many people should check out. The cast did an incredible job with this one and they all bounced of each other so well. The chemistry on this team of spies seemed flawless. Hugh Grant and Aubrey Plaza stole each scene. Both had amazing pieces of dialogue and they delivered them with ease. Plaza is by far the funniest person in the movie and a total badass. While Hugh Grant spilled huge amounts of charisma onto the screen and is one of the best villains. It was great to see him play a calm demeanor about everything, yet seemed so threatening. Jason Statham of course plays himself and brought the pain to any thug and henchman that crossed his path. Josh Hartnett has always been an underrated actor in my eyes. There is not a role he can’t play. Him playing a Hollywood actor that needs to be a spy was perfect casting. Bugzy Malone’s character is the only person I wished they explored more in the movie. His character JJ seems like the best marksman in the world and although we get some great scenes showcasing that, they were short lived. If they decide to make this into a franchise, I hope they dive deeper into his character.
The action sequences and spy parts of the movie are the only thing that was just ok. There was nothing really new or original from the plot or story. It is cookie cutter of other spy thrillers and that is what held the movie back a bit. This doesn’t make the movie bad at all, but makes it a little less exciting. Even thought a lot of the plot is something I’ve seen before, Guy Ritchie was able to do it the right way. Like I said beforehand, he is a master at having great dialogue in his movies and that’s what really carries the movie. Of course his signature editing style came to play as well. There are times where the movie jumps back and forth In the timeline which made things a bit more interesting. With Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre he doesn’t lean to heavily into it, which I really appreciated. In his past films, he overused this film style and it can be very confusing and jarring. It made sense for some scenes to have this edit style and really complemented those moments. Even with a straight forward plot, there are sone scenes that really standout and are remarkable. With such likable characters, it is hard to not have a few scenes not standout. I just wished they did something more original with the material.
Overall Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a fun ride and solid spy thriller that a lot of people will get some enjoyment from. Especially the people who are Guy Ritchie fans. He has his signature conversation back and forth and his film style is all over the place. The cast is by far the best part of the film. They have so much charisma and personality that you can’t help but fall in love with them. The action hits hard and the movie explores so many different parts of the world. There are some great chase scenes as well and it created a lot of great use of tension. This movie played very much like a James Bond film mixed with a team from Mission Impossible. Anyone who likes action flicks should give this movie a chance. I wish it brought something new to the table, but I came out of the theater with my expectations not only met, but also exceeded. Now playing in theaters, it should really be watched on the big screen if possible. Definitely one that would be an ok watch at home as well. More people just needs to find this one and watch it in general.
Written By: Frederick Nuti
Score:80/100