THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE (2024)

MPAA: R.
Release Date: 04/05/24 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Drama. War.

Studio: Lionsgate. 

THE PREMISE:

"The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

A Ministry of Forgettable Warfare

Among the list of incredible moments in human history, World War II remains one of the most fascinating. Because of its everlasting touch on our species, this war has inspired filmmakers to continue plumbing its depths for rich, exciting, and even horrifying stories to tell. Oppenheimer taking home the best picture prize at this past year's Academy Awards reinforces that stories on the fringes of the World War II battlefields can still draw critical and commercial praise. 

Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tells a story that is as important to the war's outcome as it is adjacent to the front lines. Henry Cavill leads a crew of rule-breakers on a suicide operation to disrupt supply lines to the sneaky and deadly German U-boats. This secret mission is off-the-record, unsanctioned, and requires men of a particular disposition to get their hands exceptionally dirty to carry it out. After all, war's destruction still hamstrings its main participants to certain codes and rules. 

Henry Cavill stars as Major Gus March-Phillips, the mission leader with a penchant for flashy coats and defying the rules. He and his motley crew of equally belligerent soldiers are tasked with stopping the U-boat supply ship, effectively rendering the U-boats powerless. This result would allow safe passage for American vessels to enter World War II and assist the British forces. 

This mission did actually occur, the details of which were declassified in 2016. Presumably, March-Phillips served as the real-life inspiration for Ian Fleming's character of James Bond. Fleming was a naval officer in World War II, and he even makes a few brief appearances in Ministry. 

Among the ranks of Cavill's small crew is Alan Ritchson as Anders Lassen. Ritchson offsets Cavill's usual towering frame by being even larger, both in physical size and screen presence, executing enemy soldiers with a compound bow. The crew takes orders from Brigadier Gibbons, or "M," portrayed with silky snarkiness by Cary Elwes. As Cavill and company head around the African coast to reach the supply ship, Gibbons dispatches two other spies, Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) and Marjorie (Eiza Gonzàlez), to collect intelligence on the vessel from Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger), the local Nazi authority and absolute monster. 

Ministry certainly looks excellent; the cinematography is vibrant and full of color as set pieces on boats, beaches, and even prisons pop well. Cavill and Ritchson are having the most fun as they galavant from scene to scene, slicing through Nazis and being smart alecks about it. I wanted to find more things to praise about this film, but Ministry is a flat experience. The rest of Cavill's crew are not developed enough, making me second guess who was who. Previous Guy Ritchie fare had him winking at the audience with his tough characters and quirky cuts. This film feels more like an obligation than a passion, and I caught myself checking my watch while suppressing my yawns. 

Instead of cutting through and striking the bone, Ministry meanders quite often; the editing is undisciplined and has nebulous direction. What is a two-hour decent film could have been a 90-minute great film. While Cavill runs what is effectively the "A" story with occasional vigor, the "B" story with Gonzàlez and Olusanmokun as spies was tiresome to sit through. A better editing scrub would have made the B story more interesting and investing.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has fun moments of action and wit, but even with the fantastic true story to draw from, this film was a slog and its tone a wobbly mess. Cavill's March-Phillips shines bright at times, but even he is underutilized as the story's centerpiece. I loved sitting with the Ritchie characters in his past films. Even with their sailing attire and heavy smoking, the smarmy personnel here are sadly quite forgettable. 

Guy Ritchie weaves a tale with all the ingredients of another excellent addition to the pantheon of World War II epics. The rabble-rousing band of soldiers on a spy mission that takes the fight to the Nazi's doorstep is an electric premise. Despite having the recipe in hand, Ritchie falls painfully short. Mostly because Quentin Tarantino already made this film 15 years ago. And as hard as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tries, it cannot compete with Inglourious Basterds.