Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Handling It

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Thoroughly superficial, Guy Ritchie's globetrotting action/adventure Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre nonetheless remains consistently swift and light, and the fun that the cast seems to be having onscreen is contagious.

Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) has been summoned by the British government. A top-secret item, known only as "The Handle," has been stolen, and is likely to be sold for billions on the Black Market. To stop this from happening, Nathan assembles his team, pro spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham), computer whiz Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza), and sharpshooter J.J. Davies (Bugzy Malone).

They learn that they need to get close to billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant), and the only way to do that is to show up, undercover, with Greg's favorite movie star, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), in tow. Things take an even darker turn when our heroes discover just what "The Handle" is and does.

Certainly an argument could be made that Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre doesn't try very hard. Here's Jason Statham once again stepping into his snarling tough guy role, and we find that we're never terribly worried about him; we know he will get out of any scrape he's in.

Actually, the stakes never really seem very high for anyone. But watching the characters navigate the zigzagging array of glamorous, exotic locations, wearing beautiful clothes and driving beautiful cars, feels breezily exciting, like rolling down a window on a nice day.

Statham, Elwes, Plaza, Malone, Hartnett, and Grant have all created colorful characters that clearly enjoy each other's company, but still relish snapping cheeky quips at one another. It's a solid group chemistry that eventually puts Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre successfully over the finish line.