The Ending Of Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre Explained
"Sherlock Holmes" and "The Gentlemen" director Guy Ritchie reunites with some of his usual suspects for a new spy flick full of hilarity and high-tension action. "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" follows a small spy team led by the brutish but highly skilled Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) as they're tasked with retrieving a mysterious package known as "The Handle." While the mission initially starts as simple reconnaissance that eventually turns into a snatch-and-grab run, the team faces some unexpected problems. (Ironically, "straightforward idea kneecapped by unforeseen factors far beyond the control of anyone involved" also describes the rollout for this movie.) Not only is a rival spy team trying to undercut them at every instance and steal their glory, but their plan faces some undesired obstacles when a betrayal changes everything.
Ritchie is known for pulling together incredible ensemble casts that work excellently with his style of comedy and "Operation Fortune" might feature one of his best casts to date. Everyone's chemistry is on point and who knew that Statham and Aubrey Plaza would make for an excellent comedic combination? Also, Cary Elwes is an absolute treat as Nathan, the team's snarky liaison, and Hugh Grant continues his ongoing collaborations with Ritchie as a gross billionaire. Aside from great performances and stylish action, "Operation Fortune" also contains a great story that's full of sly little twists and one wild, explosive finale. So, let's delve into the biggest moments of "Operation Fortune" biggest moments.
Hating on Mike
Although Orson and his team are skilled enough to take on nearly any task, there's one thorn in their side they can't seem to elude — Mike (Peter Ferdinando). Mike is the leader of a rival spy team and apparently has quite a history with Orson and Nathan. Most recently, Mike poached Orson's favorite tech guy, forcing the team to take his old techie Sarah (Plaza), which luckily ends up working out great. Not to mention, Mike gets in Orson and his team's way at nearly every part of this mission, acting way more like an obstacle than a supposed ally.
Even though they're supposed to be on the same side and have the same motivations, Mike definitely treats Orson's team like they're his enemy. Mike has his team literally tail Orson's crew and even take a couple of them out. Nathan and Orson say they don't like Mike because he tends to blow his cover and screw things up, but now they have a whole new reason to not like him. Eventually, we see why Mike is so rough towards Orson this time around since he has ulterior motives. Mike's actions are much more nefarious than just friendly competition among co-workers.
The Handle
At the start of the film, a mysterious group of robbers steal a device called "The Handle." For most of the film, it's never said exactly what this device does, but the fact that it comes from a secret lab doesn't bode well. Eventually, Nathan and the team learn that The Handle is an advanced AI program worth billions that has the ability to break any security system. As described by Nathan's superior Knighton (Eddie Marsan), it could allow someone to deploy a nuke and then cover their tracks. So, obviously, this device in the wrong hands could cause mass destruction or, even worse, the end of the world.
The ramifications of the Handle skyrocket the stakes of the team's mission, and figuring out who billionaire narcissist Greg (Grant) is brokering the sale for becomes a crucial task. There's no shortage of destructive potential purposes for the Handle. At first, "Operation Fortune" seems like it's simply pitching up a pretty standard snatch-and-grab job, but this reveal elevates the team's mission to saving the world.
Luck or skill
For all the obstacles Orson and his crew face — Mike upending their advancements, and a couple of hiccups here and there — they're still able to get things done. Their collective knack for getting out of sticky situations raises the question of whether it all comes from luck, skill, or a mix of the two. The film's main crew definitely has a blend of social and physical prowess to get out of tight spots — Sarah erasing suspicion by posing as an art connoisseur and Orson pretending to appear helpless so he can take out two guards, for two examples. Plus, their plans – using a voice changer to make Orson appear to be Greg's close confidant on the phone, and using sleeping gas to knock out an entire mansion full of people — are kind of ingenious.
However, there are definitely moments where luck is clearly on their side. Orson's plan to tail Ben Harris (Max Beesley) nearly falls apart when he loses him for a second and is only able to get what he's after when Ben accidentally falls to his death. Also, Nathan's inability to fake an accent is thankfully not tested when he poses as a carrier. This crew finds interesting ways to get the job done without everything collapsing on them.
Not according to plan
With all the pieces in place, Orson and his crew set their big plan into motion. Orson poses as Ben during the deal while JJ (Bugzy Malone) covers him from afar. Sarah hacks the call Orson makes to Greg to alter his voice while Danny (Josh Hartnett) tries his best to create an escape route. As for Nathan, well, he doesn't do much and just oversees everything. At first, everything goes according to plan, and it seems like they're going to get away with stopping the deal. But then problems arise.
Orson is identified by two guards that recognize him, and Greg's people become suspicious of Sarah and Danny just as they're escaping. Making matters worse, Mike arrives to turn the ordeal into absolute chaos by taking out most of the armed thugs and stealing the Handle for himself. Mike might save Orson from exposure, but he isn't exactly going to let him walk away. Sarah and Danny have problems of their own since Greg's crew starts tailing them and a high-speed chase ensues. Talk about a plan falling apart, right?
One step ahead
Throughout the film, Orson and his team are constantly confused as to how Mike stays one step ahead of them and where he gets his intel. While there would be a mole within Orson's team if this was a completely cliché spy movie, this is not the case. Rather, Mike isn't on the same kind of mission they are and is working with, not against, the mysterious buyer.
Mike has been in on the plan from the start and it's exactly why he's able to constantly impede the group's progress. Now that his plan has totally come together and he's completed his task of retrieving the Handle, Mike can finally feel like he's beaten Orson and Nathan at their own game. Although Orson and Nathan make Mike look incompetent, he definitely got the better of them this time. In fact, he feels so high and mighty that he orders his men to kill Orson.
Sharp shooting and stunt driving
With their plan blown and Mike's men about to take out Orson, everyone is in a scramble for survival that starts with Orson and JJ getting out of their mess. JJ kicks things off by taking out Mike's men to save Orson but isn't quick enough to stop Mike from flying off in a helicopter. However, our heroes see another helicopter they can take to pursue him, and although Orson's rusty piloting skills make for a rough start, they're able to get off the ground.
While that's happening, Sarah and Danny are trying to elude Greg's men in a fast-paced car chase that shows off Danny's superb stunt driving. It was mentioned before that Danny — who usually works as a movie star, not a spy — likes to do his own stunts, and he shows his skills by cleanly drifting and speeding through crowded parts of the road. Sarah shows that she's not afraid to pull a trigger if she needs to when she fires a gun found in the glove compartment of the car. However, it's not until Orson and JJ come to aid them with some missiles that everyone is able to escape their danger. But they're not out of the water yet.
Getting Greg on board
With Orson and his team out of options, they decide to fly back to try and get Greg onboard to turn the tables on Mike and the buyers, but it won't be easy. Greg is obviously upset with Danny and Sarah for tricking him, and Orson's team essentially ruined the business deal that he's been planning for months. Even Danny is petrified by the idea of going back to see Greg, but they do it nevertheless, and use the ultimate spy tool to get the rich and powerful to do what they want — blackmail.
Sarah digs up some stuff on Greg that would certainly tarnish his reputation, and they use that as an ice breaker and motivator for Greg to help them. Oddly enough, Greg is basically willing to help without much convincing, partly because he still has a bit of an infatuation for Danny and partly due to his bitterness against the buyer for betraying him. Greg even tells the team who the buyers are and that their big plan is to destroy the global economy. Frankly, it's pretty smart for Greg to team up with Orson's crew at this point, since if the buyers succeed, his massive fortune will become worthless.
The buyers
Now for arguably the biggest question of the film — who are the buyers? Everyone is wondering about it throughout the film and ironically, we meet them way before Greg tells the group who they are. Back at Greg's charity party on the boat, Greg is initially introduced talking to two nerdy moguls that seem relatively unimportant, and he also gets a seemingly random call from them midway through the film. Well, it turns out that these two techies, Trent (Tom Rosenthal) and Arnold (Oliver Maltman), are, in fact, the buyers and have some plans that could cause massive devastation.
Rather than topple the world with weapons, Trent and Arnold look to tank the world's finances by using the A.I. program to cause a glitch in the world bank systems and cause a financial collapse. Although the glitch might only occur for mere moments, it would be so powerful and have such a strong impact that gold — which they've been hoarding, of course — would become the most valuable resource. It's a greedy and vile plan that once again raises the stakes of the team's mission, but also makes the group more determined than ever to stop the world from ending.
The big plan
Now with Greg onboard, the team is ready to kick off their big plan to stop Trent, Arnold, and Mike. Greg kicks everything off by approaching the trio and their men in their penthouse lair to try and collect the money they owe him. He's pretty suave for the most part, largely due to Grant's incredible performance, and with Danny hilariously by his side as a second-in-command, it's a very fun scene. But the situation takes a dark turn when Greg orders a missile strike on Arnold and Trent's main compound in an attempt to intimidate them, which proves very effective. Even Danny says how impressed he is as they ride down the elevator, having planted the seed that ultimately destroys this diabolical trio.
While Greg is working his magic on the bad guys, Orson, JJ, and Sarah work together to get Orson to the penthouse on foot. Orson literally does a flawless speed run through all the guards while Sarah acts as his eyes in the sky and JJ provides support fire. It's absolutely breathtaking to watch Orson be so accurate and deadly, and Ritchie's incredible vision for action flourishes in this scene. These two scenes paired side-by-side makes for an absolutely thrilling finale that leads to some bloody conclusions.
Getting everyone to turn on each other
After Greg and Danny leave Arnold, Trent, and Mike, it's not too long until things turn into a bloodbath. Arnold and Trent are totally freaked out by Greg's missile show and are so disappointed in Mike for not doing anything about it that they're willing to cut his pay. Mike obviously doesn't like this and gives his men a look that lets viewers know that things are about to kick off. With nearly everyone in the room holding guns and the tension palpably high, a shootout erupts that leaves nearly everyone dead.
Greg getting everyone to turn on each other makes it remarkably easy for Orson to get up to the penthouse and collect the Handle. He just grabs the briefcase and is ready to make an easy escape. However, his exit is nearly thwarted when Mike rises up and attacks him. Luckily, he's no match for Orson in his current condition, and Orson beats him handily with the Handle. Although Mike has the upper hand on Orson throughout the film, he's finally defeated, and Orson walks out of there nearly unscathed to complete the mission.
Going on holiday
Now with the Handle in their hands, Orson and his crew are ready to finish their mission and do so by meeting Nathan to give him the briefcase. As they arrive, Nathan has that kind of smirk on his face that means that something more is coming. After Orson presents the case, Nathan says that another job is in the cards and that they need to start immediately. However, after just finishing a tough and rigorous task like the one they just completed, Orson says that he wants to go on holiday first. It's funny because that's basically what he's up to when we first meet him in the film.
Sarah and JJ are on his side, and it leads to a hilarious ending that sees the three of them discussing their holiday plans while Nathan is bargaining with Orson about how long they'll be out for. It's a perfectly fun way for "Operation Fortune" to end, as it excellently utilizes the cast's great chemistry and leaves things on a funny note. There's even a scene during the credits that shows Danny's next film, which is financed through Orson's thievery at the mansion, and it possibly hints that Danny and Greg's infatuation with each other grew to be something more. It's unclear when Orson and his team will be back out in the field, but when they do go back, it'll likely be to save the world once again.
Could there be a sequel?
At the moment, there's no sequel for "Operation Fortune" in development and it's tough to say when that could change considering Ritchie has a lot of other projects to work on. Sadly, the box office for "Operation Fortune" hasn't been all that stellar, so it's likely that it'll be a one-time entry in Ritchie's filmography. However, if it can gain enough of a cult-following when it hits streaming and VOD, it has a lot of franchise potential that would be incredible to see happen.
The film's ending basically sets Orson and his crew up to go on another mission so the story could easily continue. "Operation Fortune" already gives off major James Bond vibes with a good comedic bite. If Ritchie can return alongside this excellent cast, he could definitely craft another great spy adventure. The odds are mostly against seeing a sequel to "Operation Fortune," but maybe fans can bring it into existence through sheer will.