The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) is directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Eiza Gonzalez, Babs Olusanmokun, Alex Pettyfer, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Rory Kinnear, Til Schweiger, Freddie Fox, James Wilby, Henrique Zaga, and Danny Sapani. The film follows Lt. Gus March-Phillips (Cavill), a highly skilled but rebellious soldier who is recruited for a secret military operation by British military officials including Winston Churchill (Kinnear) and a young Ian Flemming (Fox). With his own handpicked team of similarly skilled misfits, March sets out to destroy German U-boats in an attempt to prove to various allies that they do indeed stand a fighting chance against the Nazi regime. 

Individual performances are often overshadowed by Guy Ritchie’s signature caffeine-brained dialogue, but it’s clear that the cast is having a lot of fun with the film’s action-comedy approach. Cavill is always a likable lead and he’s perfectly cast as the man who was the main inspiration for James Bond. This movie will take on a cool meta element if Cavill is eventually cast as the character. Richson acts as a similar character to Cavill and basically just uses the role to show off his action chops. That being said, when the two play off of one another, they’re a compelling combo. I wouldn’t mind seeing a buddy action movie with these two.

The movie is a classic “build a team, complete the mission” experience and because of this features a lot of different characters with various skills and personalities. Although they mostly receive an equal amount of focus and are easily distinguishable, there are still far too many. It’s tough to attach oneself to any single character because we’re not given time to care about them. Throwing in characters such as Churchill and Flemming is cool, but it ultimately just takes away from the main players. It also feels as if the characters are never truly in danger no matter how much the odds are stacked against them. I think this is because the action-comedy approach often causes the script to focus on long scenes of witty banter that go on for far too long. When this banter is coupled with action, it works. When it’s not, I wonder what the point of it is. Sure it’s entertaining, but not so entertaining that it justifies the real estate it takes up. It also occasionally feels a bit too modern in terms of its humor. Yes, this works better for modern audiences but it sacrifices realism. All this being said, the strong sense of fun throughout makes the movie a breeze to watch. 

The film is very reminiscent of Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards (2009) but unsurprisingly doesn’t achieve that film’s pitch-perfect balance of comedy and drama. That being said, the balance is good when compared to other Guy Ritchie movies. He tones down his worst tendencies as a filmmaker enough to where this feels like one of his more satisfying and accessible films. It feels like a decent compromise between the tones of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) and The Gentleman (2019). 

It does feel a bit strange tonally in the sense that much of the violence is glorified to the point where characters are sticking out their tongues in glee as they kill Nazis. I’m not saying I feel bad for the nazis, but the lack of weight attached to the violence once again sacrifices any feeling of danger/stakes. It’s almost as if the movie is saying “Isn’t watching Nazis die a ton of fun?” I mean, not really; maybe? I don’t like the guys but I don’t particularly get joy in watching them die even if they deserve it. It wouldn’t bother me, but the fact that they take some much cold enjoyment in it is a little over-the-top. I understand why the characters love it, but why should I as a viewer besides the fact that they’re nazis? I want to be shown why these particular Nazis deserve to die. 

Overall, this is a perfectly serviceable little WWII covert mission movie that works as an entertaining experience but falls apart once one takes a closer look. The film lacks any clear theme or message and doesn’t seem very interested in doing anything new within the genre. Ritchie mostly directs with a sure hand, but his typical artistic tendencies make me wonder if a more serious-minded director would have been better for the material. If you’re a WWII nut and aren’t too harsh in terms of the details, you’ll have a good time. Everyone else probably has a few better WWII movies they should check out first. B-