The Stream: Guy Ritchie seems to be borrowing from himself and Tarantino.

The Big Screen: Good action scenes and a strong cast including Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez and Alan Ritchson.

The Final Bill: An interesting true story that wouldn’t be very memorable but for some stylized action and a daffy Henry Cavill.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Guy Ritchie, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel based on a book by Damien Lewis
Stars: Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza González, Babs Olusanmokun, Cary Elwes, Henry Golding, Rory Kinnear
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Rating: R for strong violence throughout and some language.
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Production Companies: Lionsgate Films, Black Bear, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Media Capital Technologies
Platform: In theaters April 19, 2024
Notable Trailers: Maxxxine, The Fall Guy, Borderlands, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, The Strangers: Chapter 1, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Hey, Streamers! It seems like war movies are popular this spring. Here’s one that is supposedly based on true events. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is about a rag tag group of soldiers who are enlisted by Winston Churchill to help England get an upper hand on Hitler in World War II. This movie is directed by Guy Ritchie; and, from the previews, it seems to have a touch of that Inglourious Basterds irreverence. Here’s how ungentlemanly this ministry truly is.

In The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, we follow Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill) as he sets out to complete a covert mission to destroy a supply boat to the Nazis. When Gus is commissioned by Brigadier Gubbins (Cary Elwes), he insists on gathering a crew of his choosing to pull off this impossible mission. The group, which includes characters played by Alan Ritchson, Eiza Gonzalez, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer, sets out to the location of the supply boat at Fernando Po and encounters various obstacles they must overcome to give the English a fighting chance against Hitler’s attempt at world domination. James Bondian hijinks ensue.

Honestly, there’s not much to say about The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. It is a competent action movie based on true events. It presents the story pretty plainly. If you know the outcome of World War II, then you can pretty much guess at the outcome of this particular mission. Thus, the plot isn’t really an enticing aspect of the movie even though the mission, the obstacles and the solutions are pretty clever. The real draw here is the cast and Guy Ritchie’s vision for this action movie. The cast is good. Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson and Eiza Gonzalez are particularly charismatic. Cavill has a daffy energy that fits perfectly in with Ritchie’s tone. The ensemble works well together. However, the overall feel of the film is pretty derivative. It seems like any other Guy Ritchie heist movie or even a knock off of Inglourious Basterds, though that movie takes itself more seriously. Ritchie has really stylized action and attempts to infuse humor into this mission. The humor doesn’t always work unless it’s in Cavill or Ritchson’s hands.

Overall, it’s fine but not very memorable.

Ultimately, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an okay movie. There is an interesting story, which is based on true events, but it is also pretty straightforward. Guy Ritchie attempts to present this material with style and has good cast. The movie itself feels reminiscent of things Ritchie has done before or even Tarantino stylization. I can’t say this movie is a waste of time, but you don’t have to run out and see it either. A bowl of popcorn for a casual matinee viewing is good enough.