Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre

Guy Ritchie would probably make a great Bond movie, but he doesn't need to, he prefers to play in his backyard, which he knows well, and gives us what we like. This time, don't expect big plot twists, but straightforward action entertainment that kind of combines The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Gentlemen and, apart from Ritchie's more or less visible directorial ideas (I was already impressed by the opening with the footsteps that turn into music), it mainly relies on the performances. Jason Statham is Jason Statham again, but this time in that funny way, Aubrey Plaza is absolutely perfect, and every scene Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant do together is priceless. This is the kind of cleverly entertaining film I enjoy going to the cinema for the most. (01/13/2023)

After the phenomenal The Gentlemen, my expectations for Operation Fortune may have been too high, but I didn't leave the cinema disappointed. Guy Ritchie's latest is a brisk one-watch action flick with some issues when it comes to the script and (black) humour, but it flows nicely in the cinema, and thanks to the regularly dosed action it doesn't get boring. It was good to see Josh Hartnett in action after quite a long time, but the main driving forces are the cruel Jason Statham and the equally sharp Hugh Grant, for whom such roles just tailor-made. In the end, the film neither impresses nor surprises, but it entertains and thrills, and that's what counts. A weaker four stars! (01/25/2023)

Guy Ritchie is a terribly ambivalent and strange director. His name has been resonating in the film world for the last year for the absolute top of the action genre, Wrath of Man, but now he throws us such a dreadfully average thing as Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre. And when I say average, I mean literally average in every way. The acting is terribly bland, none of the three stars, Jason Statham, Hugh Grant, and Aubrey Plaza, have iconic roles, they are typical B-movie characters with no interesting traits, and there's only two action sequences towards the end, and they also suck. There's no action, above average fights, shootouts or hand-to-hand combat, and then the story is a despicable template full of bland clichés. And the humour? Zero! The whole film is completely devoid of ideas, effort and any kind of fun. In fact, I have to say that for the first time in a long time, I looked at my watch in the cinema and if I had watched the film at home, I probably wouldn't have finished it. Extremely mediocre crap that I won't remember a week later. And it pisses me all the more because this was spawned by a guy like Ritchie, everyone will compare it to Wrath of Man, and that's the stumbling block that drives the film's rating into drastic below-average territory. All I ask after watching it is WHY. (01/05/2023)

I didn’t enjoy this movie and, apparently, neither did the actors and Guy Ritchie. Synonymous with routine and zero imagination. The only interesting thing is the completely uninteresting title, which (whether it was signed off by Ritchie or the guys in marketing) destined the film to fail, because who in their right mind would want to say "2 tickets for Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, please", ugh. (05/14/2023)

A subversive version of Mission Impossible, where they steal a ChatGPT that can launch nukes and point fingers at the Soviets. Unfortunately, it's unexpectedly bland, almost soporific at times without the crazy stunts of Mad Tom. On top of that, some of the villains are Ukrainian, and that’s just not trendy today. The acting is great, Statham is excellent again, only Cary Elwes didn't suit me here. The script, despite some stylish dialogue (or Grant's exquisite final monologue), lacks drive, is muddled and falls short of the typical Ritchie standard. I felt like he got bored during the shooting and tried to finish it quickly so he could get on with The Covenant. (05/12/2023)