Construction workers in London are digging up a building site in the Paddington Basin when they come across what appears to be an unexploded WWII-era bomb. The digging immediately stops and both the military and cops are called in, under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). As the cops cordon off Hyde Park and cut off the power to the Westminster area, Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Sergeant Dootsie Keane (Saffron Hocking), rookie Corporal Martin (Alexander Arnold) and the rest of the military bomb squad team set to work on the incendiary device. Major Will Tranter has dealt with these kinds of things many times and appears cool and collected. However a recent tragedy is weighing on him. With the bomb ticking, the team is under pressure to defuse the situation quickly.

Meanwhile, a team of opportunistic thieves make their way to the basement of an apartment building in the cordoned off area, and start drilling their way into the bank vault in the adjoining Bank Al Muraqabah building. Heading up the job is Giorgos Karalis (Theo James). His crew are simply known as X (Sam Worthington), Y (Shaun Mason) and Z (Nabil Elouahabi). While crew starts grabbing all of the lighter jewelry and cash they can get their hands on, Karalis seems to have something specific he is looking for. While their plan is well thought-out, they soon they find themselves on the run when things don’t quite go accordingly.

As the young Corporal raises some red flags when he notices something suspect about the bomb, the cops also notice some heat signatures coming from inside the blackout zones. The situation quickly escalates, leading to a chase and a manhunt as the cops try to figure out what is really going on and who is behind all of this.

Fuze is a solid action/thriller that keeps the viewer guessing. Nothing is as it seems in this film, and there are so many unexpected twists and turns throughout. You never quite know who can be trusted and who is working with whom. This leads to some exciting, action-packed moments, chases, shootouts, and some big, unexpected reveals. I first saw the film in the theater, where I went in blind, not even knowing what the film was about, and I loved all the surprises and twists the story takes. Watching it again for a second time on this Blu-ray, I still found myself fully entertained. The cast is great, especially the recognizable stars like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Sam Worthington. All of these guys have led action films, and are able to deliver here as well. There are also several other lesser-known actors who also hold their own among the twists and turns of the story.

The filmmakers have done a great job of not only building the tension and mystery and applying some misdirection, but also making sure everything comes together in the end in a satisfying way. The film is made to look like it is based on a true story, which is a clever choice. I only found out afterwards that it wasn’t when I was trying to learn more about the so-called real people and events.

Sony has released Fuze on Blu-ray and DVD. We were sent the Blu-ray release for review from AV Entertainment. The single disc is placed in a standard-sized Blu-ray keepcase. There is no digital copy included, and our review copy did not include a slipcover. The technical presentation of the film is generally quite good, with a solid, clean, detailed picture. Dialogue is clear throughout, and there are moments when the stereo and surround channels are well-utilized to provide a more immersive ambiance, such as during expulsions and shootouts as bullets fly across the screen. Unfortunately the disc is barebones and the release does not contain any bonus material, not even the film’s trailer!

What’s Included:

Film: (1:36:58)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English, English SDH

Extras:

There is no bonus material included

Final Thoughts:

Fuze is an exciting action-packed thriller with a great cast. The story takes lots of unexpected twists and turns that keep the viewer invested and trying to figure out what’s really going on. Things ultimately come together in the end in a satisfying way. Sony’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, but the disc does not contain any bonus material. That said, the release is still worth checking out based on the quality of the film itself.