The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Review
Guy Ritchie has always known how to perfectly blend action and humor, which is still true in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. This film boasts an incredible cast and tells an often exciting story that is based on the recently declassified files of the British War Department. However, it isn’t always perfect.
There are plenty of places where The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare excels. Most notably is the phenomenal cast led by Henry Cavill. They all know exactly what type of film they are in, and perfectly deliver line after line. They are a great ensemble cast, causing viewers to root for them without question. They might be taking on an unsanctioned mission, and they certainly do not like to follow the rules, but that makes this movie all that more entertaining.
Eiza González often finds herself carrying her scenes, especially when she is not on camera with Cavill – which is often. Her character goes on a separate journey and while it would have been great to see more of them together, the story just doesn’t call for it. She is opposite Til Schweiger and Babs Olusanmokun for the most part, and these are some of the best scenes in the entire film.
Alan Ritchson is a standout as well and will certainly have audiences cracking up in between the massive action sequences, which is another thing this movie is great at. The cast has no problem stepping up to the plate when it comes to the stunts, and there is sure to be a great stunt team behind the scenes as well.
While it gets the humor right, and the cast does what they can with their characters, there are several times that pacing issues take over. The slower moments are put there so that the audience can connect with the characters, but it ends up having the opposite effect at times, causing a jarring pull from the edge of your seat action sequences.
We understand that this movie needs to follow, at least somewhat, the actual true events of the story, yet this is where it falters. That isn’t to say that this isn’t a good movie because it is. A great one in fact, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have flaws.
The biggest issue is the pacing. It just seems to be too slow at times, too fast at others, and some of the transitions are quite jarring. Sure, the team is under the cover of darkness at times, but that shouldn’t be putting some viewers to sleep. On top of that, there is sometimes too much exposition.
The movie very clearly works best when it is a fast paced, hilarious, action comedy, not a WWII movie. Thankfully the majority of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is just that. The cast perfectly delivers on the humor, and while there is some uncomfortableness that comes along with Nazis and their treatment of others, it isn’t laid on too thick so that it becomes hard to watch.
In the end, who doesn’t like watching Nazis die? There sure is a lot of that happening in this movie. The action is insane, the jokes always deliver, and the story itself is (mostly) interesting. If you aren’t a fan of gore, don’t worry, there is just enough to make those who like it happy, but it doesn’t push the envelope by any means. Overall, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a fun time at the movies, and absolutely begs to be seen on the big screen.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Synopsis
Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming.
The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly “ungentlemanly” fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She owns Mama’s Geeky, but also is a freelance writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for more than ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association. Her passion for film, television, video games, and comic books started when she was a little girl and has only continued to grow.