Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is packed with action, comedy and a surprising amount of tension. And like always, Ritchie has put his trademark style on all the scenes throughout.
Based on the real-life story of Operation Postmaster conducted by the British special forces during the Second World War, the movie follows the escapades of a team of renegades on their quest to steal four ships from Nazi control.
Although based on a true story, the creators have taken quite a lot of creative liberty with the nitty gritty facts.
With a cast as stacked as this, it’s easy for some characters to be left behind when the movie really gets going. But surprisingly, each character and actor gets their own opportunity to shine throughout the screenplay.
The standout stars however are Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson and Eiza Gonzalez. Henry Cavill as the at times almost maniacal Gus-March Phillips is the perfect leading man, stealing attention in every scene he’s in. Alan Ritchson on the other hand, fresh off his enormous success in the Reacher TV show sports an almost cartoonish Danish accent that he somehow makes work in context.
Eiza Gonzalez as the cunning Marjorie Stewart works as the backbone of the movie, with quite a lot of the set-up and story revolving around her character.
The action is loud, bloody and brash. It’s enjoyable, but not exactly sophisticated. Viewers hoping for some of the slick fight scenes similar to Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies will be left disappointed. But that’s not to say that the action is bad. Because of the setting of the movie being a secret mission, there obviously can’t be any knuckle dragging fist fights. Instead there are silenced gun shots and arrows to the heart. It’s different, but it’s still effective.
One of the most enjoyable parts is the banter between the characters, which accounts for most of the comedy in the movie too.
All in all, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a fun weekend flick that’s thoroughly enjoyable.
Verdict: A fun way to spend two hours at the theatre on the weekend
– Deviprasad Nair
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