Statham from U.N.C.L.E.

It is interesting to me that audiences do not seem interested in humorous, stylish, espionage caper films, especially not those made by Guy RitchieThis British filmmaker has been working in the industry for practically his whole life, and has practically created a genre of crime comedies all his own.. The director, who got his start making street-level, slick, caper films moved onto trying to broaden his genre, adding in a lot of style and pizazz, all while making some really fun, really enjoyable espionage capers, but while his street-level fare still does well (Snatch, The Gentlemen), his slicker versions of similar material (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) aren’t able to get audience attention.

It’s weird because audiences often say they want original stories, not remakes and sequels, and yet some of Ritchie’s most successful films have been remakes (Sherlock Holmes, Aladdin) and sequels (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). Whatever it is that audiences want it’s not, what I would argue, are some of Ritchie’s best films. And you can add another one to the list of slick, caper films rejected by audiences because Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre came and went in theaters in 2023 and, despite starring one of the few stars that can regularly get audiences to tune in, Jason Statham, this movie flopped at the Box Office.

Although, if I had to take a guess, maybe it was the name. While accurate to the content of the movie, the title is not only a mouthful, it doesn’t really make sense unless you watch the film. But getting audiences to watch the film when its title, posters, and trailer all seem to be designed to turn audiences away. Blame Lionsgate for that (and their history recently of failing to make, or advertise, their films well). But don’t blame the film itself because while Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre may be a little unusual, and maybe hard to market in a traditional sense, it is also a lot of fun.

Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) is a skilled agent working for a covert part of the British government, in one of those shadow pockets that’s off the books and very hush hush, and yet who also do still have some governmental oversight all the same. He’s a rapscallion with big tastes and even bigger needs, but what he can do for the government is worth every penny they spend on him (on expensive vacations, private jets, and very fine wine). And they are in need of his skills again.

A certain individual, billionaire financier Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant), has come into possession of a very powerful little device, called “the handle”, and Fortune, and his team, have to get it back. But to do so Fortune, along with hacker Sarah (Aubrey Plaza) and hitter J.J. (Bugzy Malone), has to infiltrate Simmonds’s organization, befriend him, and find out all the details of the deal. To do that they have to have the right bait: Simmonds’s favorite actor, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett). But they have to be careful because another team, led by counter-ops agent Mike (Peter Ferdinando), are on the case as well. And they might not be working for the government at all…

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a very slick, very fun film, although I will admit it does swing wildly in tone and style. At times it’s a slick and action-packed heist film. Other times is a silly and very comedic caper. It bounces back and forth between these moments, and while I think it all works together really well, I could see how someone that doesn’t quite get the beats of the film would feel like the film lurches instead of glides. It glided for me, but maybe it wouldn’t for everyone else.

Part of the reason it swings around a lot on the tone is because of its cast. The movie features action heavy Statham, who can play his part in his sleep. He is solid as a heavy, beating guys up with his thuggish skill, but he’s also good in the lighter, more comedic parts, lending everything his gruff charm. He’s teamed up with Plaza, who is always Aubrey Plaza in all her weird and sarcastic charm, in just about everything she’s featured in. And then there’s Cary Elwes as their government handler, and Hugh Grant as the slimy billionaire, and it does feel like a lot.

The film might attract people in for the action but it’s as much a comedy as anything else, something that the trailer (to its credit) does try to sell. I just don’t feel like the trailer does a very good job of it. It focuses almost entirely on the comedy, almost making this film out to be something like Ocean's Eleven when it’s really not. It’s like a slicker James BondThe world's most famous secret agent, James Bond has starred not only in dozens of books but also one of the most famous, and certainly the longest running, film franchises of all time. or a lighter Jason BourneLost without his memory, but bearing a particular set of skills, Jason Bourne has to figure out who he is and just why everyone seems to want him dead., with plenty of action while not taking itself too seriously. Anyone wanting something more action oriented would probably feel a little put off by this film.

Really, in style and tone this feels most like Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and you know this would be a hard sell because that film failed to connect with audiences back in 2015, flopping lightly at the Box Office during its run. That film has since gained a cult following and is now considered one of Ritchie’s best, and I think there’s a chance that Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre could find a similar fate… eventually. It certainly is going to have to because it didn’t do well enough during its run to warrant any kind of continuation down the line.

It’s really a pity because I think Ritchie has an eye for this kind of film. He has a deft touch when it comes to blending action and comedy (as his films like Snatch show) all while also being an assured action director as well. And his eye for cinematography, for making everything look and feel like a million bucks, is unquestioned. This is a very handsome film with Ritchie feeling like he was firing on all cylinders, working right in his wheelhouse, but it might just be that there’s a cap on how much this kind of slick caper can make and Ritchie keeps overspending and missing that mark.

I do hope he continues trying to get these kinds of films to work in theaters. I think he has a fantastic mind for these slick capers and I look forward to them any time I see he’s made another. They aren’t all perfect, but they are a lot of fun, and sometimes all you want in your capers is a fun time. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre provides that, and hopefully this film’s failure doesn’t discourage Ritchie from making another movie like it in another couple of years. I’ll happily watch that one as well, especially if Statham and Plaza are in it, doing their thing.