Fuze from David Mackenzie follows Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Will Tranter(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) after a World War II bomb is found in London. While Greenfield and Tranter attempt to prevent a catastrophic explosion, other individuals see the bomb as an opportunity rather than a threat; Karalis (Theo James) and X (Sam Worthington) plan to use the attention surrounding the bomb to cover a high-stakes heist.
The elevator pitch for Fuze is a fun idea: a ticking-time-bomb disposal and a bank robbery mashed into one. The film’s execution, though, is less explosive than its premise.
Mackenzie achieves an impressive sense of scale throughout the film, though, working with a professional in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) for consultancy on protocols and jargon that lend the film a sense of authenticity. It deftly captures just how much of a logistical nightmare a scenario like this would be for a big city like London.
The film has a great pitch and a real sense for all the moving parts; however, this also presents the issue with the film. Fuze lives and dies by its premise.
The first half is by far the strongest, as the tension of both situations escalates. If Tranter gets something wrong, the bomb goes off. If Karalis and X are caught, they can’t really explain their way out of it. It creates a fun viewing experience, making you reluctant to look away in case you miss something.
When the second half of the film arrives, though, it feels as if the film realized it had time to fill.
Mackenzie obviously had a clear idea of where the film would go with the bomb and the heist, but the rest of the narrative is lacking. It feels muddy, worsened by a twist that becomes apparent too soon and reads as fluff to pad the runtime.
The performances throughout Fuze are OK, but there isn’t a lot of depth to these characters on the page. They’re all more caricatures than individualized characters. Taylor-Johnson plays the action hero who is too tough to talk about his emotions, so he will just bury them. Worthington and James are your by-the-number bank robbers. And Mbatha-Raw is used for exposition more than anything. The performances aren’t bad; it’s just that the material doesn’t have much meat on the bone. There’s nothing for our cast to really chew on.
Fuze begins with a strong spark, promising a big explosion. But by the time that spark reaches the end of the fuse, it fizzles out.
Review Courtesy of Matthew Allan
Feature Image Credit Anton/Sigma Films via IMDb