Review: Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ On 4K And Blu-ray
by David Lewis
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which brings writer-director Guy Ritchie‘s action-comedy sensibilities to a World War II setting, is making its debut on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Based on Damien Lewis‘s 2014 book, Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII, Ministry recounts the exploits of the long-classified Operation Postmaster — an off-the-books operation initiated by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and kept secret from UK Parliament, who were seriously considering surrendering to Nazi Germany at that moment.
Organized in part by a young Ian Fleming (who would go on to create James Bond, and is played here by Freddie Fox), Postmaster recruited Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill) and his band of daring soldiers to go behind enemy lines off the West Coast of Africa in order to destroy a German ship carrying parts for the U-Boats wreaking havoc on the Allied fleet in the North Atlantic.
Clearly inspired by 1960s Hollywood WWII classics like The Guns of Navarone, The Great Escape, and The Dirty Dozen, Ministry plays more like a second-rate Inglorious Basterds minus that film’s serious side. It’s full of Ritchie’s signature brutal mayhem and constant quippery, but never really takes off. Some individual scenes crackle with energy, but overall it just doesn’t gel and lacks momentum. Despite its handsome period design and juicy real life story, Ministry feels like a step back for Ritchie after his surprisingly heartfelt — and still highly entertaining — modern war flick, The Covenant.
Cavill does an okay job at leading the ruckus, but he lacks the slimy charm of Ritchie regular Jason Statham (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Wrath of Man, etc). Among the others in his crew: the brawny Alan Ritchson capably plays each scene like he’s in the wrestling ring, Alex Pettyfer and Hero Fiennes Tiffin don’t make much of an impression as individuals, and the usually charming Henry Golding is wasted as a characterless explosives expert. Rory Kinnear also makes a rather unconvincing Churchill (especially just a few years after Gary Oldman won an Oscar for his portrayal of the prime minister in Darkest Hour).
In a related subplot, Babs Olusanmokun and Eiza González carry a surprising amount of screen time, in which the latter has to distract and seduce a German officer (Til Schweiger, of Inglourious Basterds). González sings, dances, shoots machine guns, speaks multiple languages, and ensures the success of the Ministry’s mission, just as she elevates the film overall.
Special features are sadly pretty skimpy. Besides the theatrical trailer, all you get is a 24-minute behind-the-scenes featurette called The Ministry of Filmmaking. In it, Ritchie, Cavill, González, and other cast and crew members quickly discuss the film’s historical background, how it came about, and how much fun they had on set. But precious little time is given to exploring the film’s actual production, including its impressive practical sets and stunt work. Maybe a future release will take a deeper dive, especially considering the film’s connections to the James Bond mythos.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is now available to buy and rent digitally, and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 25th.
