I just saw this came through on Flipboard and I’m immediately excited for it! I love a good action comedy and Guy Ritchie‘s always got a great ensemble cast for his movies. I’ve enjoyed Jason Statham since seeing him in the original Transporter and he’s a lot of fun to watch in action flicks… so long as they’re more on the comedic side (I didn’t care for him in oh-so-serious Wrath Of Man that’s also directed by Ritchie). Apparently this is Statham/Ritchie’s fifth collaboration since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), boy, the Stath still looks exactly the same after 20 years!!
Here’s the premise per Wiki:
Super spy Orson Fortune (Stath, natch!) and his team of top operatives recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star, Danny Francesco, to help them on an undercover mission to stop billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds from selling a deadly new weapons technology that threatens to disrupt the world order
Ritchie is collaborating with The Gentlemen‘s screenwriters Ivan Atkinson & Marn Davies which was witty and entertaining. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we’ve got some new images ahead of the trailer that’ll drop on Thursday.
Interesting that Josh Hartnett has been working with Ritchie lately, he’s also in Wrath Of Man even though it was more of a throwaway character, ahah. I wonder if he’s got a bigger part in this one as the movie star Danny. Fun seeing Aubrey Plaza here, never seen her in an action movie before and I think her sense of humor would bode well with Ritchie’s style.
I’m glad to see Hugh Grant working with Ritchie again and he seems to relish in playing baddies in his later part of his career. I remember him saying he loves playing villains as it suits his real-life personality more, I LOVE his dry, self-deprecating sense of humor! The movie also stars Cary Elwes and British rapper Bugzy Malone.
I had to look up the French term ‘ruse de guerre’ in Wikipedia… which is literally translated as ruse of war… ‘an act of military deception against one’s opponent or acts against one’s opponent by creative, clever, unorthodox means, sometimes involving force multipliers or superior knowledge.’
Here’s the trailer!
Oooh this looks like a lot of fun! LOVE the inherently comedic tone, and Grant once again looks poised to be the scene-stealer with his Cockney accent. I’m definitely on board w/ this and with this cast.
The movie is released on January 21… Ritchie’s movies are a hit and miss but let’s hope this will be a good one despite being released in what’s generally considered the ‘dump months.’
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OK, this actually looks interesting and it looks like Ritchie is putting some comedy into this. Let’s not forget that Jason Statham gave one of the funniest performances in Spy with Melissa McCarthy as a tough but dumb spy. “I re-attached this arm with my other arm!” “am I in a fucking lake?”
Oh of course!! That’s my favorite scene in the whole movie!!
“I’ve swallowed enough microchips and popped them back out again to make a computer” LOL!!
I still think he was robbed of some serious accolades for that performance.
I know! Even watching the BTS of Stath doing this scene is hilarious, I’m still waiting for SPY 2 with Stath in a larger role.
Oh! I would love for him to do Spy 2 as I just hope he gets to be even funnier. He looked he was having a ball in that film. I think comedies allow action stars to have some fun, not take themselves seriously, and increase their range as actors. It worked with Arnold, Sly (in some cases), and JCVD. At least they still do interesting shit.
Yep exactly! I think Stath is perfect in action comedies, esp since he doesn’t mind poking fun at himself. Same w/ Arnie, Sly + JCVD who gets in on the joke and they don’t take themselves too seriously unlike the ultra smug Steven Seagal, ugh!
I think you mean that fat, tubby, racist, misogynistic bitch who runs like a bitch who once an episode of SNL that was so awful. They never aired it again.
This is the first that I’ve heard of this movie and the January release date doesn’t make me hopeful about it being good. But I do like the cast and you’re right about Guy Ritchie, he’s been hit or miss for me. I know you hated Wrath of Man but I thought it’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year.
I think Jason Statham is this generation’s Chuck Norris, Van Damme and Steven Seagal roll into one. I’ve seen most if not all of his films from the 2000s and 2010s. The first film I saw him in was John Carpenter’s fun and campy Ghosts of Mars. Funny enough, I wasn’t a big fan of any of The Transporter films, there were fun but forgettable.
I just think Ritchie and Stath are more fun in action comedies. Sorry, nah Wrath of Man is kinda boring for me.
Stath is more Norris + Van Damme + Charles Bronson I think, Seagal is unwatchable!! The Transporter movies are forgettable but the first one does have some fun action scenes. The remake is a dud though.
You’re right, I forgot about Bronson who was the stable of cheesy action films of the 70s and 80s. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I enjoy most of his films too. Lol!
I’m already there for Hugh Grant as a baddie
I know, right? Grant needs to play more bad guy roles in comedic-tinged movies, he loves doing them and it shows!
👍 He is a much better actor than he gets credit for