The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
review by Bobby Blakey
Director Guy Ritchie continues to bring some great films to audiences including his Sherlock Holmes series, The Gentleman, Aladdin, Wrath of Man and more recently Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre. His latest film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare brings together a great cast including Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusamokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, with Henry Golding, and Cary Elwes. Could this be yet another great film in Ritchie’s filmography or will it be a failed mission?
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare follows the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming. The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly “ungentlemanly” fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.
Ritchie has a specific style to all of his films that screams all his own and this film is no different. There are some saying that this film has a Tarantino quality to it, which I can see, but it feels Ritchie all the way in the best possible way. With the trailers and all the press on it I had high hopes for it, and it delivers on every level. The film wastes no time getting in on the action, laughs and style letting you know we are in for a hell of a ride.
There is a tone that felt kind of like Inglorious Basterds, but the true nature of the story makes it so much more. Ritchie has brought a perfect style and direction to telling this story. The cast are all excellent with Cavill leading the charge with perfect poise, swag and borderline insane mentality. He is so perfect here with his random laughs at killing, proper etiquette, and
leadership quality. He clearly cares for his men and has no issues defying orders making him perfect for the leadership of the team.
While all are great, my personal favorite is Ritchson’s Lassen. Despite his hulking physic when he is not in the zone of, he plays it up as gentle and sensitive. When he is ready to do his thing, he is the most violent and creative in battle. Seeing him take out Nazi’s with everything from a bow & arrow to an axe is chaotic fun. It’s these variations and unique across all the characters that makes it even more interesting and a great time.
The film is pushing on one mission, but it is broken up into multilayers with one side being the intel and the other the action and destruction. This offers up plenty of great dialogue moments and banter between the teams and the enemy, keeping you engaged before the action kicks off again. Ritchie has crafted a great action movie doing justice to the legacy of these real-life men.
I loved the movie all on its own, but it is made all the better with a proper ending telling what happened to these guys after this impossible mission and photos of them. I know this is likely a one-off film, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see them wreak more havoc on unsuspecting Nazi’s and other terrorists.
Decide for yourself and check out The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in theaters now from Lionsgate.
