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In 1941, Nazi Germany is gaining momentum in their attempt to conquer Europe, with submarines consistently disrupting the United Kingdom's supply lines by sinking their ships. Brigadier Colin Gubbins (Cary Elwes), a.k.a. "M," prepares an unofficial, black-ops sabotage mission known as Operation Postmaster, which aims to destroy an Italian supply ship and two accompanying tugboats that service, arm, and resupply Nazi U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. With the indirect support of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear), M and Naval Intelligence Officer Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) enlist Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill) to assemble a team of commandos capable of executing the operation. Setting off on a Swedish fishing trawler, Gus joins Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson), Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding), and Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), who first rescue fellow comrade Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer) before changing course to the Spanish island of Fernando Po. Meanwhile, British agents Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González) and Richard Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) assist the operation on land by distracting Nazi commander Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger).
Several of the narrative's broad strokes are true, as the titular squad did carry out a mission known as Operation Postmaster, but viewers should not consider The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare an accurate account of history. It's a light-hearted, entertaining men-on-a-mission adventure, and Ritchie crams the picture with sharp, witty dialogue, stylish visuals, and riveting action sequences, and there is no weighty pretence to threaten the sense of fun. Indeed, Ritchie is content to make a straightforward action thriller with a splash of espionage, and he knows exactly what the target audience desires. Although Gus's band of ruffians represents the story's key focus, the movie also concentrates on Marjorie and Heron's spy antics and the political machinations on British soil as Churchill, M and Fleming coordinate the operation while maintaining utmost secrecy. Admittedly, Marjorie and Heron's activities are not as involving or fascinating, with the rip-roaring pace occasionally lagging when Ritchie cuts to the pair. However, this is a minor shortcoming.
Ritchie dialled back his recognisable filmmaking tendencies for his recent cinematic output (Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune, The Covenant), instead favouring a more traditional and mainstream approach, but The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare looks and feels like a Guy Ritchie movie through and through. Ritchie's distinct stylistic touches are on full display throughout the picture, with creative editorial choices and a flavoursome, jazzy, spaghetti western-esque original score by Christopher Benstead (The Gentlemen). Ritchie makes the most of the generous but not overwhelming $60 million budget, adding ample globe-trotting scope to the endeavour, ensuring the picture is lively and slick instead of uninteresting or low-budget. Although Ritchie uses convincing digital effects for bigger sequences involving ships, he mainly relies on practical sets and locations, while Ed Wild's cinematography is slick and eye-catching, resulting in an agreeable aesthetic. Additionally, the shootouts are incredibly entertaining, with Ritchie embracing the adult-friendly R rating and never pulling punches, but there is no sense of nihilism or cruelty to the violence as the tone remains agreeably light despite the immense body count. Ritchie arms the squad with a variety of weapons and quirks, with Anders rapidly dispatching Nazis using a bow and arrow while Gus takes whatever things he desires, including expensive cigars or the coat of a deceased Nazi officer.
Without enough time to properly develop each member of the ensemble, viewer interest in the characters fundamentally lives or dies by the casting, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a smashing success in this respect. The performers are endlessly charming, and each actor creates a distinct character, making it easy to tell them apart, even if names do not always stick. The perpetually reliable Henry Cavill once again demonstrates why he needs to be in more movies, emanating boundless charisma as the team's dashing leader. Embracing his native British accent, Cavill is brilliant as the Bond-esque Gus - the Bond producers undeniably missed a trick by not casting him as the iconic spy. But the scene-stealer is Alan Ritchson (from Amazon's Reacher TV show), who's larger-than-life and incredibly entertaining as a Danish naval officer, delivering ample laughs and highlights with his boundless comedic energy. The accent errs on the cartoonish side, but it feels in keeping with the picture's infectiously enjoyable tone. Also of note is Cary Elwes, who brings tremendous charm and gravitas to the role of Brigadier Gubbins, making him an obvious pick if the role of M is recast in future James Bond pictures. Meanwhile, as the brutal Nazi commander, Til Schweiger (who was in Inglourious Basterds) is in full Bond villain mode here to contrast against Cavill's suave Bond-esque performance. All the other actors confidently hit their marks, with Rory Kinnear turning in a hugely effective performance as Winston Churchill while Freddie Fox makes for a debonair and engaging Ian Fleming.
It never feels like any of the commandos are in genuine danger since they dispatch Nazis with sharp efficiency and precision, but the climax is sufficiently intense as the team completes the raid on Fernando Po while enemy soldiers and officers mingle nearby, leading to a narrow escape. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is another convincing win for Guy Ritchie, who delivers a rousing historical action adventure with cheeky wit and an irresistible, slick aesthetic, striking the perfect tone between mischievous and gritty. With studios consistently flooding the cinematic marketplace with big-budget blockbusters and comic-book adaptations, old-fashioned action films are all the more refreshing in 2024, especially when the execution is as terrific as this. A follow-up would be incredibly enticing, though the disappointing box office might spell death to any sequel plans, rendering this a delightful one-off that will probably develop into a fondly-remembered cult classic, much like Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
8.2/10
