Film Review: “Operation Fortune”

Before his military action drama “The Covenant” hit theaters recently, British director Guy Ritchie (“Wrath of Man,” “The Gentlemen”) released “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” an entertaining action flick starring his often-used leading man Jason Statham, arguably the best action movie star around. “Operation Fortune” is a fun work of popcorn cinema by Ritchie who maintains a fast pace throughout. Much like director John Ford used to do with John Wayne films, Ritchie often reuses former cast members, and this ensemble does not disappoint with recognizable faces.

When a Ukrainian gang steals a mysterious device called “The Handle” from a secret facility, the British government takes action to retrieve it before it is sold to the highest bidder. A contractor named Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) puts together a professional team to do the job. In steps calm and cool spy Orson Fortune (Statham) with a small team including American computer hacker Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza, “Parks and Recreation”) and British sniper, J.J. Davies (Bugzy Malone, “The Gentlemen”).

While competing against a rival team whose employer is unknown, Orson and his group must get close to the charming, yet dangerous billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant, “The Gentlemen”) so they can intercept the sale. To increase their chances, they blackmail American movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett, “Wrath of Man”) to help them as Simmonds is a big fan of his. What transpires afterwards is a globe-trotting, action-packed adventure sprinkled with some good laughs and suspense.

Filled with unique, interesting characters, one of the many trademarks of Ritchie films, “Operation Fortune” has an “Ocean’s Eleven” vibe but takes it up a notch on the violence side. A couple of highlights include Grant’s enjoyable performance as a star-struck, yet ruthless gangster and Hartnett is delightful as a nervous movie star who wants to study Greg for his next part. The many action sequences are entertaining even if they are a little too choreographed and the high-tech gadgetry is reminiscent of what is displayed in the “Mission Impossible” series.

Overall, “Operation Fortune” does not disappoint and is definitely worth a couple hours of your time.