The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has an unwieldy title that my brain refuses to recall in the right order. Fortunately, that’s the ridiculously fun action film’s only real flaw.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, or TMoUW for short, is based on the true events that inspired author Ian Fleming to create James Bond and his colorful assortment of characters. You don’t have to know this beforehand but trust me, you’ll end up Googling these crazy events that changed the course of WWII later.
England is on the brink of caving to Hitler as TMoUW begins. Only UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear, Men) remains resolute in refusing to bend to Hitler’s demands. With limited options on the table, Churchill secretly creates the Special Operations Executive, the forerunner of the SAS. The tides of war can change, but only after removing Germany’s U-boats from the equation.
And now we get to the fun part, at least in the cinematic version of events.
The irrepressible Major Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill, The Witcher) is put in charge of a top-secret commando unit. Gus, recognizing there’s a strong possibility the mission will fail miserably, insists on putting together his own handpicked crew. Their Operation Postmaster mission: Travel to the Spanish island of Fernando Po (a neutral territory) and sink the Duchessa d’Aosta. If they pull it off, they will crush Germany’s U-boat operations in the Atlantic.
Gus’s team of Nazi-hating daredevils includes Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson, Reacher), a Dane with a proud reputation for dispatching his enemies in exceptionally creative ways. Explosive expert Freddy “The Frog” Alvarez (Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians) is a bomb-making wiz, crucial to the mission’s success. He’s fast on his feet and good at improvising when plans go south. And speaking of plans, Gus’s go-to guy is Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer, Magic Mike) who needs rescuing from the Nazis before the motley crew can carry out their mission.
Filling out the gang of five is Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin, The Woman King), the youngster of the group who’s a better navigator than any of his more seasoned cohorts.
Providing support back in England is Churchill’s trusted friend Brigadier Colin Gubbins (Cary Elwes, Stranger Things), nicknamed “M,” the leader of Special Operations. Gubbins is the one who grudgingly brings in troublemaker Gus and comes up with the wild plan to sink the Duchessa. Gubbins’ right-hand man is Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox, Slow Horses), the liaison between Gus’s team and the SOE headquarters – and future creator of James Bond.
Gus’s squad can’t carry out their mission without a little support on the ground from British agents Marjorie Stewart (Eiza Gonzalez, 3 Body Problem) and Richard Heron (Babs Olusanmokun, Dune Parts 1 & 2). Marjorie and Heron are integral in providing up-to-date information about the Nazi movements on Fernando Po. Plus, Marjorie has the unenviable task of keeping the highest-ranking Nazi, Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger, Inglourious Basterds), distracted while they put the final steps of Operation Postmaster in place.
Everything’s on the line. If the mission is discovered, they’ll face jail time. Or, worse yet, those involved could face torture and death at the hands of the Nazis.
Operation Postmaster was a complicated dance in which a single misstep could have resulted in England falling into Germany’s hands. Watching the many moving parts fall into place in classic Guy Ritchie style provides a fascinating look at a crucial event that was just recently unclassified.
Guy Ritchie’s always wanted to make a World War II film and the extraordinary Operation Postmaster turned out to be the perfect melding of subject and filmmaker. The true story’s just fantastical enough to fit into Ritchie’s signature style. The action’s furious, the brutal dispatching of Nazis met with solid audience approval, and there’s an immersive feel to all the fight sequences. But best of all, TMoUW is loaded with rapid-fire dialogue, razor-sharp humor, and quick banter.
Gus and his crew are the original “licensed to kill” secret agents, though Bond author Fleming couldn’t openly mention the inspiration for his superspy. It’s not at all difficult to envision James Bond working with this elite squad to save the Crown. And speaking of Bond, Henry Cavill would be an interesting choice to fill the role. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare definitely proves he’s got the charm to handle it, and we know he can do action.
Cavill’s terrific as the leader of the elite group, all of whom relish the chance to slaughter Nazis. Cavill improvised a bit of tongue-wagging glee while blasting a room full of Nazis, a move that perfectly captures the mood when the team’s in hunting/killing mode. Alan Ritchson and Cavill exchange playful banter while Ritchson’s Anders “The Danish Hammer” Lassen uses knives, a bow and arrows, and his hands to shred his way through waves of Nazis. When he rips out a Nazi’s heart, it’s a move that’s completely in character.
Cavill, Ritchson, and Eiza Gonzalez have the showier roles, but the entire ensemble is excellent. Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen, Snatch) and his co-screenwriters do a superb job of fleshing out all the many key players. And Ritchie gives each character, based on real people, their proper due on screen.
Certainly, Ritchie exercised artistic license in bringing the story of Operation Postmaster alive on screen. But the mission’s basics are there. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a history lesson wrapped up in a bloody, in-your-face, entertaining action romp, delivered in a style Ritchie does so well.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for some language and strong violence throughout
Release Date: April 19, 2024
Running Time: 2 hours
Studio: Lionsgate
