Words by JANE CROWTHER
The fuze in question in David Mackenzie’s time-bomb heist thriller is two-fold: it’s the detonator on a world war two incendiary found by construction workers digging up a London site, as well as the nucleus for character motivation. Those characters come into focus when the discovery halts everything within its radius as an army bomb squad led by Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and the chief of police (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) work within an evacuated cordon, just as a team of crims – headed up by Theo James with a wonky South African accent and Sam Worthington – start drilling their way into a nearby bank vault. As the police are preoccupied with not blowing Paddington Basin sky high and the streets are deserted, the robbers have a handy window of opportunity. But the big question is; how did they know this random find was about to happen?
It doesn’t take a master criminal to link the clues and uncover the double-crossing and twists loaded into proceedings as plans go wrong and blood is split. A taut and intriguing opener dissipates somewhat amid realisation that Mbatha-Raw is going to get to do nothing more than look quizzically at CCTV screens, and the connections between other characters are signposted. A third-reel explanation flashback and end-credit cards seem almost comedic is their flippancy.
But this is a throwback, Guy Ritchie-adjacent easy watch, elevated by its cast. Taylor-Johnson nails the cocky Afghanistan vet with insubordination issues and sniper skills, while Worthington simmers belligerently under the leadership of James’ flashy point man – the trio imbuing character layers that are not readily provided by the script. And Elham Ehsas adds welcome intrigue as an immigrant living with his frail parents in the apartment building the heist is operating out of. The urban fox trotting through proceedings is also pretty decent.
Technically competent (insistent score, propulsive editing), unapologetically unrealistic and brisk in delivery (98 mins and done), Fuze isn’t likely to linger long in the memory but doesn’t outstay its welcome. It isn’t a bomb, but never fully detonates either.
Words by JANE CROWTHER
Pictures courtesy of Sky UK
Fuze is out in cinemas now
