FUZE Doesn't Quite Ignite

FUZE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

Sony 

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

Fuze was directed by David Mackenzie, the guy behind Hell of High Water and Relay. Since those were among the best movies in the years they were released, my expectations were naturally a bit elevated. However, this one is comparatively disappointing, never rising above the level of passable time killer.

It’s got a good premise, though. In an urban London neighborhood, an unexploded bomb is discovered at a construction site, supposedly buried since World War II. The entire region is evacuated and the power is shut down, while an Army bomb squad led by Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are brought in to try and defuse it.

Concurrently, a four-man crew of thieves sneak their way into the same area to perform a daring bank heist. Somewhat implausibly, the bomb was planted there as a distraction in order for these guys to get in, steal the cash & jewels, and get out. How they managed to sneak a giant explosive device into town and make it look like it’s been buried for years - without being noticed - is something the narrative chooses not to disclose. That’s a missed opportunity, in my opinion. How they accomplished such a feat would've made things more interesting.

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I'm wearing the hat, aren't I?"

Despite efforts to remain stealthy, the crew is eventually detected by police and the chase is on. Though managing to elude capture, the robbers run into more complications - and a double-cross - while trying to fence the jewels. Much of the film’s second half is a series of sequences created to set-up plot twists and character revelations during the climax.

But throughout the story, we’re never really invested in these characters, since nothing is revealed about any of them until after everything has transpired. By then, it's too little, too late, resulting in a movie that ends with a whimper rather than a bang. Still, Fuze is certainly watchable. It’s got a good cast (including Theo James and Sam Worthington) and a handful of taut action scenes. And like all good heist thrillers, the sequences depicting the robbery itself are engaging. From a technical standpoint, it’s slickly assembled and fast-paced.

It’s just that I expected a little more from MacKenzie, who’s previously shown a knack for combining plausible action, a compelling story and dynamic characters. While he doesn’t exactly drop the ball here, it’s kind of a shame Fuze ends up being the kind of movie we simply watch and forget about.