The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Starring: Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
I have a confession to make. I have become deeply obsessed with Guy Ritchie movie titles. No one is naming movies like this man. If you read my 2023 year-in-review post, you know I awarded Guy Ritchie the Best Movie Title of the Year award for Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. He could have just called it The Covenant but that would be too simple, it was Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. He also released a movie last year called Operation Fortune: Ruse du Guerre. Just when you think there’s no way Guy Ritchie can come up with another movie title that sounds like a Lana Del Rey album, he does it with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Now I think he could’ve one-upped himself by calling the movie Guy Ritchie’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare but I won’t get too picky.
Now I’d be thrilled to write more about Guy Ritchie movie titles but this is a review, so let’s talk about the movie. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is all about “The Special Operations Executive,” a secret British team brought together by Winston Churchill to fight against Nazis. The team includes leader Gus (Henry Cavill), Anders (Alan Ritchson), Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), Freddy (Henry Goulding), and Henry (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Helping them with their mission are Heron and Marjorie working to distract an evil Nazi officer while the team works on the mission.
I knew nothing about this story, so it is interesting to see this page of history play out on the big screen. The actor who they cast for Winston Churchill looks and sounds nothing like him, but we just had Joaquin Phoenix play Napoleon so historical accuracy has completely gone out the window in cinema. It’s fine. I will say several aspects of the script feel like they borrow heavily from Inglorious Basterds which is a better movie overall.
The movie showcases Guy Ritchie’s typical directorial style including over-the-top one-liners and excessive violence on full display. There are some pretty good action set pieces that make for a good theatrical experience while others feel massively over the top.
“Rebecca, don’t talk about the character development in a Guy Ritchie movie about World War II. Know your audience.” I’m gonna do it anyway, you know why? Because Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant proved to me that he can do pretty decent character development! There’s not any character development in this movie. The characters only have traits, not personalities. Anders is strong! Marjorie is Jewish. Freddy sets things on fire. (Speaking of Freddie, the way this movie underutilizes Henry Goulding is borderline criminal. That man is a star and should be cast in bigger roles!) I guess my point is that it’d be nice if we learned about the team throughout the movie besides the fact that they’re great at shooting guns. But I realize I’m asking for a lot in an action movie like this.
Is this an incredible movie? No.
Does it give the audience an interesting storyline complete with a uniquely precocious Guy Ritchie movie title? Yeah, it does. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare takes an interesting page out of history with an entertaining cast and big action set pieces.
My Rating: 7/10