‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ is a true historical Second World War tale, where the British soldiers duel against German Nazis. Curiously, the filmmaker Guy Richie added his flavour to make it an action-comedy.
This movie with a long title is based on the 2014 book with the longer name “Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII” by Damien Lewis. So, this British movie is set against the backdrop of World War II, wherein the British military sought out a limited number of exceptionally talented soldiers to undertake covert operations against German forces positioned in enemy territory.
‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Is A Thrilling WWII Film
Trailer: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie
Synopsis: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie
Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, it 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.
Poster: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie
Spoiler Free Review: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie
A typical Guy Richie film
Almost a year ago, we reviewed “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (2023) film. It was a contemporary tale about the American troops’ presence in the war-torn Afghanistan. Now, it seems, the writer and director Guy Richie has moved back to his familiar British turf. First, he recreated the creative world of “The Gentlemen (2024) series”, which was undoubtedly inspired by his “The Gentlemen” (2019) movie. And now we come across ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ (2024) film about the heroism of British soldiers against the Nazis. So, as expected, we get loads of action sequences of varied kinds. Or should we say, the British soldiers find new ways to defeat and kill the Nazis. Mind you, it is based on a true tale. However, Guy infuses his typical and quintessential filmmaking stamp onto the real WWII story.
A brief note about this WWII film tale
This history-based movie is described as a genuine portrayal of a secretive British World War II faction, the Special Operations Executive. Incidentally, the Nazis were the dominant force and they were threatening Britain at that time. Under those circumstances, British PM Winston Churchill initiated the creation of the said special fighting battalions of the Military. Consequently, their unconventional strategies in fighting the Germans were instrumental in shifting the tide of the war and establishing the foundation for present-day covert activities.
In fact, in the past, we also shared details about the Rogue Heroes (2022) series based on a true tale of a Special Air Service of Britain. So, if you wish to see how the British Military defeated the Nazis, then go ahead and check it out. But, kindly, bear in mind that many creative liberties have been taken in the film, to make war seem like a non-serious business.
What did we like about the film?
Given the historical background of this film, of course, there are some well-known historical figures in it too. For instance, the characters of PM Churchill (Rory Kinnear) and writer Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) in the film.
Fascinatingly, in one of scenes from this film, Ian Fleming introduces himself, "Fleming. Ian Fleming." So, it pays homage to his fictional idol James Bond, who, in several movies where he makes an appearance, presents himself as "Bond. James Bond." Furthermore, Henry Cavill portrays the real-life individual who served as the inspiration for Ian Fleming's iconic character, James Bond. Cavill has consistently garnered support from fans for his potential portrayal of Bond in film adaptations.
It has a good ensemble cast led by the suave and charming Henry Cavill (Gus March-Phillips). He plays the leader of a special fighting unit who undertook suicidal missions against the Nazis’ U-boats. In the film, he is well supported by a group of attractive cast members. These actors are Eiza González (Marjorie Stewart), Alan Ritchson (Anders Lassen), Alex Pettyfer (Geoffrey Appleyard), Babs Olusanmokun (Heron), Henry Golding (Freddy Alvarez), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Henry Hayes), Danny Sapani (Kambili Kalu), etc.
In addition, there are the usual villains on the Nazi side, they are played by Til Schweiger (Heinrich Luhr) and Henrique Zaga (Captain Binea). Moreover, given the light-hearted nature of their role, all of them played their roles quite competently. Furthermore, we liked the chutzpah in the film. The script was smart, but it could have been much smarter. Equally important, the ‘Guy’ infused quite a few fun elements and a bit of British humour.
Thus he turned the war movie into an action-comedy.
Marjorie Stewart: It's one thing taking over the world, but do they have to take over the kitchen too? It's all sausage, cabbage and black bread.
Heron: We're between a rock and a hard place. If the Brits win the war, we're stuck with fish and chips. If the Germans win the war, we're stuck with this menu.
The conclusion
In this high-octane war movie, the kill count of Nazis in this film seems to be too high. Does it reflect a historical reality? Well, we are not sure. However, one thing is sure ‘Guy Richie’ enjoyed the creative freedom. So, he has exaggerated the historical aspects of the Second World War in its action sequences. Moreover, he has used the comic book approach instead of a serious documentary concept in the film. That is what makes it a ridiculous yet fun-filled entertaining film that asks not to be taken too seriously. So, forget the goof-ups and enjoy this stylish film.
Rating: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie
| FM Rating | 3.50/5 |
Key Details: The Second World War Movie
| Genre | Action, Comedy, Drama, War |
| Original language | English (UK) & a little bit of Swedish, German, Spanish, Yiddish, etc |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Age-restrictions | R (18+) |
| Writers | Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel, & Guy Ritchie |
| Director | Guy Ritchie |
| Cast | Henry Cavill (Gus March-Phillips), Eiza González (Marjorie Stewart), Alan Ritchson (Anders Lassen), Alex Pettyfer (Geoffrey Appleyard), Babs Olusanmokun (Heron), Henry Golding (Freddy Alvarez), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Henry Hayes), Danny Sapani (Kambili Kalu), Til Schweiger (Heinrich Luhr), Henrique Zaga (Captain Binea), Cary Elwes (Brigadier Gubbins ‘M’), Freddie Fox (Ian Fleming), Rory Kinnear (Churchill), etc. |
| Distributor | Lionsgate |
Spoilers Alert: Real-life people, Epilogue & More
The fate of the key characters or should we say the real-life people
The war-heroes
Major G.H. “Gus” March Phillipps, DSO, MBE. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leading Operation Postmaster. Besides, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Gus is believed to be the key figure upon whom Ian Fleming based his fictional character James Bond.
Captain John Geoffrey Appleyard, DSO, MC. Following Operation Postmaster, Appleyard would go on to lead countless other deniable missions, awarding him a Distinguished Service Order. When presented to King George VI to receive it, the King declared in amazement, “You again?”
Captain Graham Hayes, MC was awarded the Military Cross for his part in Operation Postmaster. On his next mission, Graham was captured, held and interrogated for more than a year by the Gestapo. He never broke.
Captain Anders Lassen, VC, MC was awarded the for his part in Operation Postmaster and promoted to Captain. He became the most decorated member of the SOE and SAS. After he was awarded the Victoria Cross, Great Britain’s highest Medal of Military Valor.
The war-heroine
Marjorie Stewart continued to serve as an agent for the SOE throughout the war. Following this, she went on to star in movies such as ‘The Master Plan’, ‘The Weak and The Wicked. Shortly after Operation Postmaster she married Major G.H. “Gus” March Phillipps. However, it is worth noting that both Gus and Marjorie do not have many onscreen interactions in the film.
A brief note about the ‘Anders Lassen’ character played by Alan Ritchson of the ‘Reacher‘ series
In this movie, Alan Ritchson’s character ‘Anders Lassen’ kills several Nazis with a knife.
Alan Ritchson is most famous for his portrayal of Jack Reacher in a television series. Amusingly, this character who, in the book series that serves as the source material, has a deep-seated dislike for knives.
Poster and Featured Image of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie are credited to Lionsgate.