“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”, Guy Ritchie’s New Action Flick
The film had a limited theater release back in April.
Summary
A top secret combat unit, composed of individuals of dubious reputation, is sent on a dangerous mission against the Nazis during World War II. The team will have to resort to “ungentlemanly” techniques to complete an operation that could change the course of the war, without dying in the process.
Action, Comedy, and Good Performances
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare follows two storylines that merge into one when the time for actions comes.
On one side of the operation you have Gus March-Philips (Henry Cavill) and his team, and on the other Marjorie Stewart (Eiza Gonzalez) and Richard Heron (Babs Olusanmokun). The film goes back and forth between both sides, but as the rhythm doesn’t work that well, it ends up giving a feeling of disconnection. It’s like watching two different movies.
The team of men carrying out a dangerous rescue mission, and then taking a risky route to arrive at their destination in time, is honestly way more interesting than Marjorie seducing a SS commander. So that part of the mission becomes kind of boring after a while.
Even though it is based on an historical event, the film focus is on the action, so the characters don’t have a lot of depth. However, all the actors are giving their best, and it shows. Henry Cavill and Allan Ritchson are the ones in the cast who stand out the most, but all the performances are very good.
The surprise for me was Eiza Gonzalez. More than ten years ago, she was the protagonist of a teenage soap-opera I used to watch, and I hadn’t come across her since then. As I mentioned, most of Marjorie scenes are not the most exciting of the film, but she did a great job with the script she was given.
The action scenes are violent, but also fun, and I’m sure, quite historically inaccurate. I’m fond of films set during the war, not only because it’s an interesting time period, but because I enjoy the more visual aspects of these projects, such as the fashion and production design. This film in particular has nothing mind-blowing to offer in that department, but I find it visually pleasant enough.
Reception
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare did not have a wide theater release. Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights for the U.S., but internationally the rights went to Amazon Prime Video. After a few weeks on theaters, during which it grossed $26,000,000, the film ended up on streaming. In my country, it didn’t even get to theaters.
The main criticism I’ve read about it online is that it does not live up to Guy Ritchie’s previous movies. I’m not a fan of the director, so I don’t have a strong opinion on this. The only project of his I clearly remember watching is The Man From U.N.C.L.E, which is alright.
Overall, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a good film. Maybe it’s not all that memorable, but it is definitely a fun watch for the ones who enjoy the genre.
