(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Chaos ensues as the military and police begin a mass evacuation against a ticking clock.”
How do you waste an absolute firecracker premise with a complete tonal misfire?
Look no further than Fuze (2025), a well-directed but weak heist thriller brought to the screen by David Mackenzie and screenwriter Ben Hopkins. They set the stage rather brilliantly – a London excavation crew unearth an unexploded World War II bomb, an event used as a distraction to a crack team of bank robbers who could pull off the heist of their careers – and manage to build some palpable tension; and yet it all kinda/sorta falls apart over the simple yet unconscionable fact that the audience is never asked (in the slightest) to give a damn about any of them. Oh, there’s a coda tacked onto the final reel which tries very hard to suggest a plausible emotional foundation for why they did what they did; but anyone watching closely needn’t be all that cynical to see it’s little more than a cheap escape to ‘screw the system’ and get out (with ample cash) while the getting’s good. That’s disappointing, and the fact that Hopkins thought some tacked-on screen texts shedding light on the destiny of his vague creations mostly proves the point … namely “Why give a damn?”
Criminal capers – especially the quintessential heist flick – work best when there is some central baddie whose simple existence practically motivates our kind-hearted thieves to act against him or her. That whole Robin Hood mystique of robbing from the rich to give to the poor – not necessarily oneself – has fueled a great many pictures; and, frankly, it succeeds far more often than I’ve ever seen it fail. Fuze attempts to tap into that proposition very late in the process, crafting a Mideastern crime boss from which Karalis (played by Theo James) is trying to pull a gotcha. Again, the chief problem herein is that we’ve never been swept off our feet to believe that Karalis is ‘one of us’ from the outset; and this means that very little of what ‘his uncle’ does might in terms of punishing his nephew might very well be deserved for all we know. This emptiness of motivation persists on every layer across Fuze, and it keeps everything under a bit of suspicion. About the time when the only relatable burglar goes down – X (played by Sam Worthington) – I realized that the fugue around these people was the design, so I needn’t shed a tear over anyone’s loss.
What works in the film is the fabulous set-up and execution of the whole heist. These few blocks of London are brought to a veritable standstill shortly after the ordinance is discovered, and crack military officer Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is dispatched to serve Queen and country in the attempt to defuse the entire situation (in more ways than one). Director Mackenzie cuts back and forth between the action of the military under Will’s command and Karalis and his team rather quickly getting beneath and inside the bank, occasionally even throwing a bit of light upon how police captain Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw in an underused role) and her forces monitor the situation from nearby. All of this is delivered exceptionally, pushing the story along nicely; but it isn’t until you realize you’ve zero investment it wants happens to any of them that you’re likely wishing Fuze was lit a bit earlier.
As an aside, I did laugh at one sequence, and I’m quite certain it wasn’t intended. There’s a bit that takes place in the police station with Zuzana trying to do the whole captain thing, ordering around a group of officers in a pivotal moment. Well, the laugh comes when one notices how deliberate Mackenzie and the casting department goes to show practically anyone but an ordinary white male anywhere on the police force … except for the physically-challenged one in an electronic wheelchair. Proving that DEI is alive and well shouldn’t come at a laugh, but I couldn’t help myself.
Fuze (2025) was produced by Anton, Sigma Films, and Sky Original Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Saban Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional throughout: while the cinematography never tries to accomplish anything all that grand, it’s still the kind of treatment the genre requires and deserves here. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, this is a bare bones release, meaning that you’re going to have to look elsewhere for that kind of content. Sad … but it is what it is.
Recommended.
Tonally empty, Fuze (2025) – while a technically proficient film – gives audiences absolutely no reason to care about any of its characters. It’s rare for me to finish a film and feel entirely indifferent to the plight of the principles here, but … what can I say? Without any reasonable investment in their fates and what they kinda/sorta endured for what weak payback there is in the premise, I just couldn’t care for any of them. The occasionally flashy visuals and the dynamic pace can only carry any “thriller” so far, and this one just missed the mark for me with the exception of capably passing the time.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Saban Films (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Fuze (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Chaos ensues as the military and police begin a mass evacuation against a ticking clock.”
How do you waste an absolute firecracker premise with a complete tonal misfire?
Look no further than Fuze (2025), a well-directed but weak heist thriller brought to the screen by David Mackenzie and screenwriter Ben Hopkins. They set the stage rather brilliantly – a London excavation crew unearth an unexploded World War II bomb, an event used as a distraction to a crack team of bank robbers who could pull off the heist of their careers – and manage to build some palpable tension; and yet it all kinda/sorta falls apart over the simple yet unconscionable fact that the audience is never asked (in the slightest) to give a damn about any of them. Oh, there’s a coda tacked onto the final reel which tries very hard to suggest a plausible emotional foundation for why they did what they did; but anyone watching closely needn’t be all that cynical to see it’s little more than a cheap escape to ‘screw the system’ and get out (with ample cash) while the getting’s good. That’s disappointing, and the fact that Hopkins thought some tacked-on screen texts shedding light on the destiny of his vague creations mostly proves the point … namely “Why give a damn?”
Criminal capers – especially the quintessential heist flick – work best when there is some central baddie whose simple existence practically motivates our kind-hearted thieves to act against him or her. That whole Robin Hood mystique of robbing from the rich to give to the poor – not necessarily oneself – has fueled a great many pictures; and, frankly, it succeeds far more often than I’ve ever seen it fail. Fuze attempts to tap into that proposition very late in the process, crafting a Mideastern crime boss from which Karalis (played by Theo James) is trying to pull a gotcha. Again, the chief problem herein is that we’ve never been swept off our feet to believe that Karalis is ‘one of us’ from the outset; and this means that very little of what ‘his uncle’ does might in terms of punishing his nephew might very well be deserved for all we know. This emptiness of motivation persists on every layer across Fuze, and it keeps everything under a bit of suspicion. About the time when the only relatable burglar goes down – X (played by Sam Worthington) – I realized that the fugue around these people was the design, so I needn’t shed a tear over anyone’s loss.
What works in the film is the fabulous set-up and execution of the whole heist. These few blocks of London are brought to a veritable standstill shortly after the ordinance is discovered, and crack military officer Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is dispatched to serve Queen and country in the attempt to defuse the entire situation (in more ways than one). Director Mackenzie cuts back and forth between the action of the military under Will’s command and Karalis and his team rather quickly getting beneath and inside the bank, occasionally even throwing a bit of light upon how police captain Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw in an underused role) and her forces monitor the situation from nearby. All of this is delivered exceptionally, pushing the story along nicely; but it isn’t until you realize you’ve zero investment it wants happens to any of them that you’re likely wishing Fuze was lit a bit earlier.
As an aside, I did laugh at one sequence, and I’m quite certain it wasn’t intended. There’s a bit that takes place in the police station with Zuzana trying to do the whole captain thing, ordering around a group of officers in a pivotal moment. Well, the laugh comes when one notices how deliberate Mackenzie and the casting department goes to show practically anyone but an ordinary white male anywhere on the police force … except for the physically-challenged one in an electronic wheelchair. Proving that DEI is alive and well shouldn’t come at a laugh, but I couldn’t help myself.
Fuze (2025) was produced by Anton, Sigma Films, and Sky Original Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Saban Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional throughout: while the cinematography never tries to accomplish anything all that grand, it’s still the kind of treatment the genre requires and deserves here. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, this is a bare bones release, meaning that you’re going to have to look elsewhere for that kind of content. Sad … but it is what it is.
Recommended.
Tonally empty, Fuze (2025) – while a technically proficient film – gives audiences absolutely no reason to care about any of its characters. It’s rare for me to finish a film and feel entirely indifferent to the plight of the principles here, but … what can I say? Without any reasonable investment in their fates and what they kinda/sorta endured for what weak payback there is in the premise, I just couldn’t care for any of them. The occasionally flashy visuals and the dynamic pace can only carry any “thriller” so far, and this one just missed the mark for me with the exception of capably passing the time.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Saban Films (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Fuze (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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