By Jack Ransom July 25, 2024
Guy Ritchie has been on a role since The Gentlemen (2019), pumping out a consistent stream of action flicks (all of which have arrived on streaming here in the UK). The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is another to add to the pile, and though it boasts a ragtag, throwback, pulpy vibe and explosions aplenty, it suffers from a lack of tension and substance - both in its characters and story.
Synopsis
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is inspired by true events and sees the British military recruit a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.
Review
The plot is incredibly simplistic and offers little in terms of surprises, instead opting for what essentially boils down to three extended action set pieces (one per act), interspersed with spy infiltration, the team coming up with the next stage of the plan and Winston Churchill occasionally checking in. It gets the job done as a conveyor belt for the action, but is lacking in terms of tension and excitement - as it is quickly established that everyone on the team is the best at what they do so there is no real peril to their well-being.
The action is very solid here, with gunfights aplenty, bloody brawls (involving knives, axes and bows and arrows) and gratuitous, booming explosions. Some lighting and editing choices do neuter a few of the scraps at times. The practical sets, authentic production design and naval focus make for a refreshing setting. Ritchie may not go all out with his trademark montage barrage editing tropes, however there a couple of slickly put together beats (most notably a sequence cutting between karaoke and bloodshed).
The enthusiasm of the performances carry a lot of the screenplay. Like Operation Fortune, you’ll quickly realise that everyone on the team is essentially the same character just with their own gimmick. Henry Cavill’s well spoken “Pip Pop, Tally-Ho!” team leader, Alan Ritchson’s hulking, bespectacled murder machine, Eiza Gonźalez’ seductive and cunning Marjorie and Babs Olusanmokun calm, collected Heron are the highlights. Til Schweiger is suitably stone faced, yet largely generic as the antagonist and I’m not entirely sure about Roy Kinnear’s Churchill performance.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a decent dose of wartime action. It’s not one of Ritchie’s strongest outings, however the cast are fun, the action is solid, the setting is unique and it’s paced well. It does lack any substance and character engagement outside the surface level and whilst it is well executed, the action never passes the entertaining mark into standout territory.
Star Rating
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare releases on Prime Video July 25
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