While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is by no means reinventing the wheel, what Guy Ritchie does, he does so well. This bombastic ensemble film is perfect for casual moviegoing fans and history buffs alike.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is the most recent directorial effort by Guy Ritchie. He has reunited with his The Man From U.N.C.L.E. star Henry Cavill to bring this film to life. This is the true story of the soldiers and spies on the secret mission that gave the Allies a fighting chance against the Nazis. Other stars include Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Henry Golding, Eiza Gonzalez, Babs Olusanmokun, Til Schweiger, Freddie Fox, Danny Sapani, Cary Elwes, and Rory Kinnear. 

The movie begins in medias res as Nazis force themselves upon Major Gus March-Phillips (Cavill) and Anders Lassen’s (Ritchson) little fishing boat and search the vessel. After some taunting by the boys, the Nazis find Henry Hayes (Fiennes-Tiffin) hidden in the ship and a shootout begins. They quickly end the Nazis, greatly due to Lassen, the ultimate killing machine. Putting the final nail in the coffin is when Freddy Alvarez (Golding) pops up from the water in a wetsuit as the German boat behind them explodes. This sequence is a perfect taste of the bloody, wild good time coming up in the next 2 hours. 

In a flashback to 25 days earlier, Winston Churchill assigns Brigadier Gubbins or “M” to find a leader for a black ops mission. He, alongside Ian Fleming (Fox), determines the incarcerated Major Phillips is the man for the job since he is willing to do anything and everything to complete a mission. Phillips explains during their meeting he already has a team in mind, though one member, Appleyard (Pettyfer), is currently being held in a Nazi base on the island of La Palma. The predetermined members of the team selected by M include spies Majorie Stewart and Heron, who have already infiltrated the Nazi base of Fernando Po on the African coast as a club owner and a gold trader. 

Essentially, the mission is that the team needs to blow up the Duchessa which houses the Nazi’s stash of carbon dioxide filters. These turn CO2 into breathable air. The German U-boats have kept the Nazis in control of the Atlantic, giving Britain the disadvantage, and has prevented the United States from sending troops to Europe. But if there is no way to breathe, the U-boats are rendered useless, which gives the Allies a shot at victory. This secret mission is beyond the rules of warfare, hence the “ungentlemanly” descriptor in the title. If the British Navy catch them, they’ll be arrested, and if the Nazis catch them, it’ll be torture and death. There is a narrow margin of success, but it’s a game changer if they complete their task. 

The boys begin their journey by first rescuing Appleyard from La Palma. Upon staking out the island, they find Gestapo members, the secret police who are known to torture as they interrogate their subjects. This changes the game, and the boys must attack ASAP. This is a great example of how each victory leads the group to a new problem, which they then have to improvise to continue, which of course brings them to another new problem. This was no easy going globetrotting voyage, but a high-stakes game of poker. Although, the amount of Nazis we get to see the crew mow down is delightful. They are certainly skillful in their ass-kicking abilities. 

While the men are traipsing through the Atlantic Ocean, Marjorie and Heron are the boots on the ground in Fernando Po. They must embed themselves in the locals so they can distract the Nazi seaman who would be working when the boys are to blow up the boat. They must also deal with Heinrich Luhr (Schweiger), a Nazi commander and tradesman. After a surprise upon reaching the town, Majorie and Heron must convince the Prince of Fernando Po, Kambili Kalu (Sapani) to help them fulfill their mission. While the men on the boat get to be brash, their side of the mission is delicate and must attract no suspicion. The additional context is nice to have, especially during the finale where we are bouncing between different perspectives. Speaking of which, the music during the final climax had me on the edge of my seat along with everyone else in the theater.

In the hands of a different director, I could see this being a serious war film. While that hypothetical might be a fun thought, this is a Guy Ritchie film through and through. As someone who enjoyed The Gentleman so thoroughly (both the film and the TV show), I was not disappointed. The characters are boisterous and sarcastic, a jovial group I’d like to have a beer with. Though there is a big tension-ramping scene toward the end, it overall maintains the fun and wild tone. When I saw in the credits this was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, everything made sense. Though it may be gory with some explicit language, I could easily see this as the film parents take their teen or pre-teen to see as their first R-rated movie in the theaters. It’s the perfect definition of family-friendly with an edge. 

Henry Cavill solidly leads the team, but Alan Ritchson was the standout for me. Honestly, he should be credited three times, once for his performance and again for each arm. While his physical prowess is unbelievable, he had many comedic moments which always got a laugh out of me. A big man with tiny glasses is something I’ll always be a fan of. It’s also great to see that Hero Fiennes-Tiffin has escaped from the After film series and Alex Pettyfer is back in a major theatrical film. I love that Ritchie gives opportunities to so many good actors who deserve it or need it for one reason or another while keeping his tried and true actors employed. 

At the very end, the film gives a quick explanation of what happened to the real-life counterparts, which is great for those film fans who rush to iMDB trivia to do research. One fun fact in those credits is Freddie Fox’s character, Ian Fleming, is the writer of the James Bond book series, and according to the movie, he took inspiration from Major Phillips for his titular character. This recontextualized the film and was like the cherry on top of a good time. While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is by no means reinventing the wheel, what Guy Ritchie does, he does so well. This bombastic ensemble film is perfect for casual moviegoing fans and history buffs alike. 

Grade: B+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Where to Watch: In Theaters

Eva Kirby
She/her @eva_kirby21
Lives in Florida. Loves sports, Diet Coke, and rewatching Fleabag.
Favorite Director: James Cameron
Sign: Pisces