The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Directed by Guy RitchieBilled as a true story about a secret British World War II organization; the Special Operations Executive. Founded by Winston Churchill, their irregular warfare against the Germans helped to change the course of the war, and gave birth to modern black operations.
Cast of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Ratings & Reviews
- jackmeatOctober 19, 2024My quick rating - 6.6/10. I generally enjoy movies directed by Guy Ritchie,and this is no exception as it takes a fascinating slice of World War II history and brings it to the big screen with a solid ensemble cast including Alan Ritchson and Henry Cavill. The film tells the story of a clandestine combat organization formed by Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming, whose unconventional and entirely "ungentlemanly" fighting techniques against the Nazis played a pivotal role in the war and laid the groundwork for modern black ops units. On the surface, the film has all the elements of a great war movie. The cast is strong, with Ritchson delivering a good performance as a Scandinavian character more like Jack the Ripper as opposed to Jack Reacher-type, leading a ragtag group on a Nazi-killing spree. Cavill brings his usual charm and intensity, adding weight to the fascinating narrative. The story itself is compelling, rooted in real events that could have made for an unforgettable cinematic experience. However, the film doesn't quite nail it completely. The pacing feels off, with moments that drag unnecessarily and the scenes with Eiza González seemed disjointed to me. Nothing wrong with her portrayal of Marjorie who is in cohorts with the team, just the situations she was in. The film also suffers from a lack of the stylistic flair that I expected from a Guy Ritchie production. It feels more like an "action movie by numbers" than a passionate retelling of a significant historical chapter. Compared to classics in the genre, this flick doesn't quite measure up. It lacks the charm and humor of Kelly's Heroes, the gravitas of The Guns of Navarone, the historical credibility of The Longest Day, and the sheer star power and likeability of The Great Escape. While it has its moments, the film struggles to establish a unique identity or deliver the emotional resonance that these films achieved. But it does say something that my mind even drifted off and compared this movie with those timeless classics. I'd say if you're in the mood for a straightforward action movie and enjoy watching Alan Ritchson's no-nonsense approach to dispatching Nazis with the help of some friends, you'll find this entertaining enough. However, those looking for something with more depth, style, or historical weight might find themselves underwhelmed.
- mickerdoo5h agoDespite glaring similarities to Basterds and impossible marksmanship, this had a great cast and costumes. Plus plenty of Nazi killing!
- Dave BarnesMarch 12, 2025I just watched this after watching the SAS Rogue Heros TV series and this is such a let down after that. Don't waste your time with this poorly acted piece of nonsense and find the TV series, you'll be glad you did.
- Zercues2d agoAbsolute banger of a movie my family and I enjoyed every second of it, 5/5 and added to the purchased collection.
- Michael SurberApril 8, 2025This is one of those films that gets better each time I watch it. Strong entry in Guy Ritchie's portfolio of action films. It's both brutal and violent but it was WW II after all.
- willyboy683d agoA lot of people didn't like this movie when it came out. I thought it was excellent. Good plot, lots of action, and a pretty girl. What more could you ask for?
- Chris Curtis6d agoWhile it may be (very loosely) based on actual events, don't go into this expecting much realism. If you're okay with over-the-top, almost cartoonish levels of preposterous action, though, you're in for a treat. The action pieces are very entertaining and there are some genuinely funny scenes. The characters are barely more than one-dimensional, though, with only the most cursory of characterization, backstory, and motivation given. This movie hews back much closer to Guy Ritchie's first two films than to some of his newer ones and for this style of film, and he's a great choice for director in that regard. But such an exaggerated and unrealistic portrayal of what were heroic and extraordinary events in real life might put some people off and feel like it dishonors the real events and real people. But if you can separate this movie from those events and people, it's a very entertaining ride.
- Eire12747d agoIt’s like the most outrageous James Bond film crossed with Oceans 11, rolled into the most like-able misfit crew ever. Absolutely gorgeous, adventurous, beautiful fiction. Except it’s true (in part). Try that now, they’d all disappear into a black site, right along with the Prime Minister. Everything has do be done so carefully, so politely these days. Can’t risk insulting someone, even the enemy, or you’ll be cancelled by the court of public opinion! We need to get back to praising people who get it done again, not handing out medals to everyone who tried.
- Scott SmithFebruary 5, 2025I will never stop enjoying movies where killing as many Nazis as possible in new and creative ways is the theme. This one is humorous, fast moving, and violent. That all worked for me. It is also fun seeing Cavill in an over the top role like this. Guy Ritchie does it again.
- giovanni rJuly 31, 2025In entertained me so well. Finally a real action movie with no bs. Really enjoyable.
- JohnJuly 15, 2025Slow, to gentlemanly not enough warfare. Characters stand openly while being shot at, then fire back and nale their target, very star wars of them. Only more so, at least those characters were trying to run trying to duck out the way. These guys just stand there, if you watch it, you'll see.
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025If the Inglourious Basterds got swole. This might be the most fun I’ve had with a Guy Ritchie movie in recent memory. My fam loved the first couple seasons of Reacher with Alan Ritchson (who my youngest son affectionately refers to as “that buff guy”.) He is excellently charismatic and he has a symbiotic vibe with the also muscular and charismatic Henry Cavill. Based on just one of the operations from the book of the same name, Guy Ritchie’s film essentially can be broken down into a series of plan and execution scenes. Plan the heist >> execute the heist >> wash, rinse, repeat. And execute, they do. Ritchson in particular is after Nazi hearts like Aldo Rain is scalps and he’s prepared to kill 100 different ways to get them. But you never for a moment feel like our “ministry” is ever in any danger. For the most part, they’re met without opposition. The team’s major setbacks comes from expository dialogue about fuses and a boats armored plating. The only real stakes that have any weight is the positioning of this operation as a pivotal turning point in the war. The low stakes kind of make this a breezy fun, watch, though, so it’s hard to knock it too much for that. Last performance to mention is Eiza Gonzalez. She was excellent and absolutely stunning including a show stopping vocal performance. Ritchie isn’t exactly well known for his female characters and this film won’t exactly pass the Bechdel Test, either, but I thought her performance was one of the highlights. I had a really good time. Light and breezy, nazi killing adventure that plays like a super violent heist flick. I would definitely watch again. The book sees this crew continue on to multiple other operations, and I would be up for seeing some of those adapted. Not sure how likely that is, though.
- burtjohansonFebruary 5, 2025In this case you really can judge a book by its cover. You get just about what you’d expect - a bit over-the-top, cheesy, and unbelievable, but entertaining for a single watch nonetheless.
- RyezooFebruary 4, 2025Went in blind and happy I did. This was a great time! Yes it’s very surface level and you spend more time then needed with the 2 spy’s on island, but when Henry Cavil’s team is on screen its nonstop fun. I know none of the characters had any weight to them but it worked in this movie. Love the action and that it’s based on a true story.
- SixpaxDecember 21, 2024Typical dramatised war movie with unbelievable premise and outcome but good fun to watch
