Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

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Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre
Starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Hugh Grant
Directed by Guy Ritchie

My friend saw this film before I did, and she said it was like the script was written by an A.I. bot who was fed scripts of several spy films. I didn't think it would've been that obvious, but after watching this I'm inclined to believe her - the film feels like a stereotypical spy caper that we've seen countless times before, and much like the other films it parodies, this won't be remembered in the coming days, weeks, months, years, minutes, or seconds.

When a mysterious briefcase containing some sort of thing that can bring about the destruction of mankind, or whatever, is stolen and held to the highest bidder, the British government brings in Nathan Jasmine (Carey Elwes) to find it before it falls into the wrong hands. He brings in his own team consisting of super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham), expert hacker Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza), and sharpshooter J.J. Davies (Bugzy Malone), and their intel leads them to a charity gala put on by the mysterious Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). To get entry to the gala they bring in Hollywood superstar Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), and they go undercover to find the device, all the while another team is also in search of the device, along with a slew of gangsters, mobsters, and spies.

The issue with "Operation Fortune" isn't with the performances, as everyone involved gives it their all. Jason Statham can do these types of films in his sleep. Aubrey Plaza is a nice addition to this genre as she brings her natural sarcastic nature as well as proving she's the most intelligent person in any room. Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant bring the comedy in droves. The issue also isn't with the locations, as we travel all around the world to the most luxurious places. The issue isn't with the action, as Statham still knows how to literally and figuratively pack a punch.

The issue is with the script. There really isn't one, or at least one that you'd expect from the expert hands of Guy Ritchie. He's directed epic spy films like "The Gentlemen," "Snatch," and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," but here it seems that he not only phones it in, but he purposely directed a film that would've looked better on a streaming service than the big screen. There's no big twists, no Ritchie-infused camera angles, no use of flashbacks and flash-forwards to subvert the story. There's just the MacGuffin that everyone wants to get their hands on, and their search to get it. That's it, that's all. While it's not inherently bad, it's not great - or even good - either. It's a passable exercise in a spy caper that delivers some truly humorous moments and some decent action sequences, but apart from that it's surprisingly hollow, especially for a Ritchie outing. That's really all I have to say about it.

The Score: C

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