In Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Orson Fortune (Jason Statham), a seasoned spy, is tasked with preventing a potentially devastating super-weapon from falling into the wrong hands. He assembles a team of unconventional agents, including the renowned actor Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), to infiltrate the inner circle of billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant) and uncover the identity of the weapon’s prospective buyer. The stakes are exceptionally high, and the fate of global security rests on the success of this unlikely alliance.
British director Guy Ritchie achieved initial success with the low-budget action-comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, followed by Snatch, a film built upon a similar premise. These films also served as a breakout for Jason Statham, now a major action star, who had previously only appeared in a few music videos. Ritchie’s directorial style was considered innovative and engaging, with dialogue reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s work. Ritchie’s subsequent career has been marked by projects of varying quality. While I enjoyed his Sherlock Holmes films, I found The Gentlemen to be less compelling.
This review focuses on Ritchie’s latest film, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which sees Jason Statham reprising his role as the lead. Hugh Grant also returns for his second collaboration with Ritchie, delivering a captivating performance as a sleazy character, a typecasting that has become somewhat of a recent trend for the actor. The once squeaky-clean image that Grant cultivated early in his career is now firmly in the past. Cary Elwes also delivers a notable performance as the beleaguered supervisor of this unconventional team.
Aubrey Plaza’s character provides an amusing counterpoint, contributing some of the film’s most memorable exchanges. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre maintains a consistently brisk pace, ensuring that it remains engaging throughout. The filmmakers employ a creative approach to the score, integrating sounds such as footsteps into the musical backing. While Operation Fortune is undoubtedly entertaining, its impact is ultimately fleeting. The script is somewhat underdeveloped, and while the plot incorporates several twists, they lack significant surprise.
I evaluated the UHD version of Operation Fortune and, unfortunately, found it to be underwhelming. The image quality appeared to be low-resolution and lacking in vibrant color. Initially, I suspected that I had mistakenly inserted the Blu-ray disc. However, the UHD and Blu-ray discs feature identical menus and warning screens. Further investigation revealed that the UHD version activates HDR, a feature not supported by Blu-ray. Despite the presence of HDR, the subpar image quality in 4K suggests that this may be a 1080p version encoded to HDR and upscaled to a 4K signal on a UHD disc. While this remains speculative, the audio, presented only in DTS 5.1 on both editions, lends credence to this theory. Given that the film was produced with a 7.1 audio track, the omission of the original track, even without Dolby Atmos, is disappointing.
The disc offers a minimal selection of extras, a concerning trend in physical media releases. As previously noted, I am particularly critical of UHD editions that offer substandard quality while maintaining a premium price point. Purchasing this expensive edition over the more affordable Blu-ray version is not recommended. Such releases contribute to consumer disappointment and may accelerate the decline of physical media sales, ultimately leading to their discontinuation. This outcome would be detrimental, as streaming often compromises audio and video quality, and provides a less secure means of owning content. Streaming services can remove films from libraries or even censor content at their discretion. Consequently, access to high-quality physical editions is crucial for film enthusiasts. While commendable editions still exist, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre on UHD is not among them.
In conclusion, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre offers entertainment value but suffers from a shallow script. The disappointing UHD edition further detracts from the overall experience.
SF Studios provided review copies for this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial process. We maintain an independent perspective, prioritizing the interests of our readers and consumers.
