Although the latest film from Guy Ritchie, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, would appear to look like just another comedic gangster film of his, it’s surprisingly more like his take on a Mission Impossible-styled spy story, which makes it a total blast.

The film follows a spy group led by team liaison Nathan (Cary Elwes), who is tasked with retrieving a secret device known only as “The Handle” before it falls into the wrong hands. Thus, with no time to lose, Nathan taps highly skilled super-spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) to lead a small ground team made up of himself, wise-cracking hacker Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza), and sharpshooter J.J. (Bugzy Malone). Their mission to retrieve The Handle takes some interesting turns as they recruit narcissistic actor Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) and deal with eccentric billionaire Greg (Hugh Grant). However, they deal with more obstacles than expected as a rival spy group constantly gets in their way and the details of who The Handle’s mysterious buyer is changes everything.

From the opening scene, Ritchie’s direction and vision for this story give it a smooth and confident feel. The rhythmic nature of sound design and action of the opening instantly sucks you into the film’s experience and it’s not long until Ritchie’s comedic and action trappings appear. When it comes to the action, Operation Fortune is exactly what audiences love about Statham and Ritchie teaming up. The punches hit hard, and Statham brings his brand of badass coolness that leaves audiences stunned. Him and Ritchie really do some fun stuff here that’s endlessly entertaining to watch and really pops on the big screen.

Orson isn’t the only one who stands out in the film’s actiony moments though as Ritchie crafts some incredible sequences that get everyone involved. There’s an amazing car chase that’s thrilling and lets Danny and Sarah have some fun behind the wheel. J.J.’s sharpshooting is undeniably epic to watch as he provides some good support to Orson in tense moments. The finale action sequence that sees Orson go on a tear also showcases some ambitious filmmaking from Ritchie that can’t be understated. Also, it’s pretty fun how there’s a rival spy team always getting in Orson and his team’s way and it adds some interesting obstacles to their mission.

Ritchie’s eye for action has never been better and his comedic writing and direction is top-notch with this incredible cast. Literally everyone has amazing chemistry and the way characters rag on each other is fantastic. Plaza’s snarky banter as Sarah makes for some hilarious interactions and it’s a key aspect to her holding her own as the newest member of the team. Elwes will have audiences roaring with laughter with nearly every one of his scenes and the charm he brings will constantly leave you smirking. Grant also continues his excellent collaboration with Ritchie as he brings some sly grime to Greg’s personality. There’s a scene in the final act with Greg that’s so epic because of how captivating Grant is in this moment and it’s probably one of the best scenes in the film. Really though, everyone is hilarious and they have a good story framework to work with.

Overall, Operation Fortune is a simple spy story that’s in the same vein of a James Bond or Mission Impossible entry. It’s nothing too unique and even then, there are some aspects that could’ve been better. J.J. could’ve had more of a role in the plans or just scenes in general because he is just kind of there for the most part. The subplot dealing with Greg’s infatuation of Danny, which is what gets Danny recruited in the first place, has some funny moments, but feels like too much of a distraction from the main spy story.

However, even for its simplicity, Operation Fortune’s story is heavily elevated by Ritchie’s vision and style. It doesn’t need to do anything too special with its twists or reveals because as long as it involves these great characters, it’s an absolute treat. It’s solid enough to create a smooth narrative that keeps audiences engaged enough to entertain them at every turn. It’s exactly that kind of fun spy adventure that’s excellently crafted and knows how to be a bit cheeky that audiences are always on the hunt for.

Operation Fortune is a top entry in Ritchie’s stacked filmography and is much more than meets the eye. It might seem like just a standard gangster-comedy from Ritchie, but the vision he brings for the action, the incredible cast that’s assembled, and the hilarious moments between these characters not only make it highly entertaining, but genuinely well made.

Watch the Trailer Here: