Guy Ritchie was busy in 2023, with two major film releases. The Covenant was a massive departure from the director’s usual themes, while Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre was more fitting with his distinctive style.
There were high hopes for the latter as a return to form for Ritchie, who hasn’t quite managed to find that magic touch since his early offerings. So, how does it stack up against Ritchie’s other works?
New Picture Features Ritchie’s Distinctive Style
Operation Fortune has all the elements you’d expect to see in a Ritchie offering. Jason Statham plays the lead role, there are plenty of quick cuts between different elements, and there’s a lot of exposition with characters almost acting as narrators. There’s no doubt that you’d recognise the 2023 offering as one of the director’s movies, but it may not quite have the hard-hitting force of Ritchie’s early offerings.
Despite a star-studded cast that also includes Hugh Grant and Josh Hartnett, Operation Fortune failed to win over the critics. It only has a 51 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and most experts agree that it lacks the firepower to match the best modern action movies. On top of that, it was inferior to Ritchie’s other 2023 release, which has a score of 83 per cent and garnered generally positive reviews.
Appeals to Mainstream Audiences
Despite the critics failing to fall in love with Operation Fortune, the picture has appealed to mainstream audiences thanks to its themes. The spy genre is huge in popular culture, and there are always people searching for more content. This is highlighted by the sheer abundance of spy-related material across all platforms of the entertainment industry.
On television, one of the best recent spy thrillers was Amazon’s Citadel. The high-budget action offering pushed the genre to new limits and is set to lead to several spin offs. The iGaming industry has a few spy games as well, including one that shares a name with Ritchie’s latest flick. SPIES – Operation Fortune: Power Combo is one of the top LuckyDays Ontario slots, and the game from Infinity Dragon Studios uses many of the tropes that are common in spy films. It’s clear that Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre has many elements that can attract viewers.
Ritchie’s Early Offerings Are Still the Best
Ritchie fans are getting excited about his new series based on The Gentleman according to Joe’s Daily. That picture was a moderate success, and it harked back to the offerings that started it all for the director. Few would disagree that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch are still Ritchie’s best titles to date, and it’s unfortunate that he’s never been able to match these with his later work. Perhaps the new series will bring back some of that early magic.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre failed to win the critics over, but it was a hit with audiences thanks to its spy themes. Ritchie’s iconic directing style is still apparent, but it still can’t live up to the brilliance of his debut work.
