The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Year: 2024
Rating: R
Length: 122 minutes / 2.03 hours
It feels like I’ve been waiting for a Guy Ritchie film that is a return to form. I loved his earlier works, but have found his latest projects mostly disappointing. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Feels like one of those early Ritchie films, which I truly appreciated. However, despite being based on actual events, it felt a bit like a watered down Inglorious Basterds (2009). The cast and action were great, but the stakes somehow felt shallow and forgettable.
I truly enjoyed the parts of the film that held onto Ritchie’s original style. The ridiculous action sequences and the machismo of the main cast (Henry Cavill, especially) are the kinds of things that I enjoyed in Ritchie’s earlier works. That any of this was even close to what really happened makes it an impressive event that should inspire people to learn more about the history. Including the brief reference to Ian Fleming (author of the James Bond series) was definitely a nice touch considering how this mission could easily be from any of the Bond novels.
The real problem here is that it either tried to stay too close to the actual history or it was too unbelievable to be taken seriously. The result is something that isn’t as memorable as it should be. Infiltrating the prison was a better set piece than the mission they were meant to accomplish, which undercuts the climax. I also felt the stakes weren’t as important to the main cast of characters, even if they definitely could change the outcome of the war if they went differently. Ultimately, I learned a little more about the first special ops squadron, but mostly with a sense of, “Huh. Neat.”
Some classic Ritchie mayhem with a heavy historical anchor weighing it down, I give The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare 3.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
