The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – The British military recruits a small group of highly-skilled soldiers to strike against Nazi forces behind enemy lines during World War II.

My Take – Though filmmaker Guy Ritchie is known mainly for his grittier flicks, his specialty clearly lies in delivering action comedies. His latest too veers in the same direction and sees him head back to WWII era and shake the tired genre with colorful characters and explosive action.

And despite seeming like a less ingenious version of Inglourious Basterds (2009) you can’t help but have fun watching. After all who doesn’t enjoy watching arrogant Nazis get shot, blown up, stabbed, or otherwise maimed?

Based on a true story that is explored in the 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, the film portrays a heavily fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster, an unsanctioned mission that was largely unknown to the public until 2016, when documents from that era were declassified.

But while the story might have its basis in truth but in the hands of director Ritchie it’s been exaggerated and contorted into something grander and sillier, something that is fast and funny, coasting on the charm of these characters and fizzy action sequences.

Yes, there is nothing too innovative at play here, except less extreme in its directing and editing choices than the usual Ritchie fare, instead adopting more of subdued approach that actually works to the film’s advantage to highlight some of the more dramatic and intense moments. Also, like most of his films, it’s propelled by a cast that is infectious enough to lead you away from major quibbles.

Set in late 1941, at the height of World War II, the story follows Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill), an imprisoned former soldier who is released and ordered to spearhead a covert military assignment. For some time now, things have been looking grim for the British war effort as the United Kingdom has been struggling to halt Nazi Germany’s attempts to take over Europe, with London regularly suffering bombing runs at the hands of the Luftwaffe.

And with the United States yet to officially join the war and their supply and aid ships constantly sunk by German submarines, Brigadier Colin Gubbins (Cary Elwes) and lieutenant Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox), with the indirect backing of Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear), initiate Operation Postmaster, a black-ops sabotage mission intended to disrupt the Nazis’ U-boat resupply operation on the Spanish-controlled island Fernando Po.

Henceforth, March-Phillips assembles a group with various skills for the mission that includes Danish killing machine Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson), explosives expert Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding), and gifted sailor Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), and go undercover on a Danish fishing trawler to begin their 15 day sail to the island, while stopping on their way to a Nazi-controlled section of the Canary Islands to rescue strategy master Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), who was captured by Gestapo agents.

Meanwhile, SOE agents Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González), a starlet of stage and screen, and Frederich Heron (Babs Olusanmokun), a man with connections both high and low, use the latter’s illegal gambling hall to recruit backup for Gus’ team while Marjorie seduces Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger), the SS commander in charge.

Right from the opening scene, it is clear which director Ritchie is heading and the film is at its best when it embraces the cigar-chomping ultra-violence. Acting as a throwback WWII men-on-a-mission adventure marinated in modern blood lust, the film couldn’t be more of a blast to watch particularly if you enjoy cheeky carnage and Dad cinema.

Yet this is Guy Ritchie working at the top of his game; he almost always prioritizes style over substance, but he does it with such verve that it sometimes works — and this is one of those times.

The screenplay written by Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel and Ritchie offers little insight or differentiation into each character, other than how they fight and why, which is always some variation on how the Nazis killed a family member. Though the film concludes with the requisite photos of the real people who inspired the story and what happened to them after the events of the film, it leaves things vague enough that this could turn into a franchise.

It helps that Henry Cavill and his band of ungentlemanly warriors are all super entertaining to watch, their chemistry leading to many laugh out loud moments. Here, Cavill, reuniting with Ritchie after criminally under-seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), is having a blast as a kleptomaniac killing machine who doesn’t think twice about strolling into a Nazi bunker and stealing some Nazi clothes for good measure. He shows off some range as his character is very different from the brooding muscle man that many people associate him with.

It is delightful watching him do comedy. Alan Ritchson is almost indescribably charming as the sweetest and most violent human being you’ve ever seen. Though, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer and Hero Fiennes Tiffin don’t get to do anything that makes them stand out particularly character wise, they end up at least bring the deranged charm the role requires.

The ever gorgeous Eiza González manages to be a standout performer, and along with Babs Olusanmokun make for an able undercover duo.

In supporting roles, Cary Elwes, Freddie Fox, Henrique Zaga, Danny Sapani and Rory Kinnear are effective, while Til Schweiger plays the typical evil Nazi officer, delivering a performance as bombastic and unsubtle as the film he stars in. On the whole, ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ is an entertaining wartime romp that is coasting on the charm of its characters and fun action sequences.