6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Special agent Orson Fortune and his team of operatives recruit one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars to help them on an undercover mission when the sale of a deadly new weapons technology threatens to disrupt the world order.
Starring: Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Hugh Grant, Josh Hartnett, Cary ElwesAction | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Guy Ritchie might seem like the perfect director to helm a James Bond feature, and in some ways, this film may be his "version" of just such an outing. That said, given some of the cheekier aspects of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, one might come to the conclusion Ritchie arguably would have been best suited for the Roger Moore era of the venerable 007 franchise, a subset that arguably traded in Sean Connery's sly winking for a somewhat more overtly lewd, raucous glare. Ritchie is certainly no stranger to spy films, as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. proves, though in this particular instance Ritchie and his creative team weren't tasked with adapting one of the more fondly remembered series from the sixties, one which of course owed its very genesis not just to James Bond, but to Ian Fleming himself. Instead, as is kind of humorously mentioned in a supplement included on this disc, the "screenplay" for Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (co-written by Ritchie) was not seen as a finished product during the shoot, and in fact may not have been finished, and several of the actors are on hand in this supplement commenting about the resultant improvisatory aspect of the film, something that evidently was slightly terrifying for Hugh Grant in particular (though some might feel he walks off with this film one way or the other). Grant portrays suave arch villain Greg Simmonds, an arms dealer who is trying to obtain a top secret device (is there any other kind of device in a spy movie?) known only as The Handle. Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) is ostensibly in charge of retrieving the item, but his chief operative is this film's titular character, the somewhat outlandishly named spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham).
Operation Forutne Ruse de Guerre is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to find any technical information on the cameras utilized, and frustratingly all of the behind the scenes footage only disclosed the use of a Ronin gimbal in terms of legible brand names on equipment, but the IMDb at least lists a 4K DI as a datapoint. This is a really beautiful looking transfer for the most part, though the increased resolution of this format perhaps shows up a bit of the VFX work more than the 1080 version does. That niggling qualm aside, this 4K UHD presentation offers a nice uptick from already excellent fine detail levels in the 1080 version, and Dolby Vision and/or HDR add a number of very appealing highlights to this version. There's a really inviting kind of quasi-sepia or peach like tone that's more apparent in some of the early scenes with Knighton and Jasmine, for example, than in the 1080 version, and some of the brighter pops of warmer colors, like a pink shirt Danny wears or more spectacularly a bright red dress worn by Sarah pop incredibly vividly in this version. A light dusting of digital grain is most apparent in some of the more brightly lit outdoor moments. Shadow detail enjoys at least a moderate improvement in this version, and a couple of scenes drenched in red lighting offer a bit more fine detail as well than in the 1080 version.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre features a really enjoyable Dolby Atmos track that exploits some very smart sound design decisions. If the film itself isn't especially innovative, some of the choices in sound design are at least a little interesting, as in a brilliant opening sequence with echoing, clacking footsteps as Jasmine walks down an endless series of hallways, footsteps which are slowly then mixed with more and more drum sounds, all of which are intercut with scenes of carnage at an attack, scenes which have no soundtrack of their own, so to speak, with simply the footsteps and drumming serving as "underscore". It's a really arresting way to start the film, one with clear engagement of the surround channels, and that same attention to detail tends to pervade the film, and not necessarily just in the over the top action sequences. A glut of outdoor material and/or crowd scenes offer good opportunities for ambient environmental sounds. Dialogue and a fun score are offered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
Both the 4K UHD and 1080 discs in this package offer the same slate of supplements:
You've seen any number of elements in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre before in any number of other film and/or television properties, but if you can get past that unmistakable feeling of déjà vu, there's quite a bit to enjoy here, even if it's probably arguable that a bit more discipline all around might have delivered even more enjoyment. Technical merits are first rate and the few supplements appealing. Recommended.
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2012
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