MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, THE
(director/writer: Guy Ritchie; screenwriters: Arash Amel, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, based on the book “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops” by Damien Lewis; cinematographer: Ed Wild; editor: James Herbert; music: Christopher Benstead; cast: Henry Cavill (Gus March-Phillips), Eiza González (Marjorie Stewart), Alan Ritchson (Anders Lassen), Alex Pettyfer (Geoffrey Appleyard), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Henry Hayes), Babs Olusamokun (Heron), Henrique Zaga (Captain Binea), Til Schweiger (Heinrich Luhr), Henry Golding (Freddy Alvarez), Rory Kinnear (Churchill) Cary Elwes (Brigadier Guffin ‘M’), Freddie Fox (Ian Fleming), Danny Sapani (Prince); Runtime: 120; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Guy Ritchie, Chad Oman, Ivan Atkinson, John Friedberg; Lionsgate; 2024-Turkey/USA/UK-in English with some German)
“Despite its pluses and being a crowd-pleaser, it’s still a crude film.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
An action comedy based on a fictionalized unbelievable true historical story from WWII, that is directed by Brit filmmaker Guy Ritchie (“Wrath of Man”/”Sherlock Holmes”). It’s based on the 2014 book “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops” by Damien Lewis. Its material was taken from the newly released declassified War Department documents in 2016. Ritchie co-writes it with Arash Amel, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson.
During WWII Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) needs a military victory to satisfy his critics, or he might be forced to step down. So he goes rogue and has his team recruit people who don’t mind doing things that are not by the military code. The Brits thereby recruit the rule breaking ex-con sea captain Gus (Henry Cavill) and a collection of rogues like Freddy (Henry Goulding), Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), Heron (Babs Olusamokun) and Marjorie (Eiza González). They are sent on a top-secret mission called Operation Postmaster by the SOE (Special Operations Executive) boss, Brigadier Guffin or ‘M’ (Cary Elves), and his aide, Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox). Yes, this Ian is the future author of the Bond books. The mission is to sink the Nazi supply ship, the Italian vessel Duchessa d’Aosta at Santa Isabel, and to take out a vital Nazi stronghold on the Spanish island of Fernando Po.
“The Ministry” offers some good action scenes, some laughs, and a dazzling satirical take on the rogue war mission. It also manages to have a good laugh at the Nazi expense, as they get their comeuppance. But despite its pluses and being a crowd-pleaser, it’s still a crude film.
REVIEWED ON 4/23/2024 GRADE: C+