‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Review — A Boatload of Himbos

The Big Picture

• The film features incredible action sequences inspired by a true story of British covert operations against Nazis.
• Eiza González shines as the MVP with a compelling storyline that adds depth to the movie.
• Despite its flaws, it’s a crowd-pleaser for those who enjoy watching Nazis get defeated by a team of beautiful killers.

Guy Ritchie is no stranger to the tactful art of blending incredible history with his bombastic brand of action, but The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare ratchets it up to a whole new level. Inspired by the unbelievable true story of Operation Postmaster—a top-secret British operation to take out a key Nazi stronghold on the Spanish island of Fernando Po—Ritchie turns real-life heroics into jaw-dropping action sequences and unmitigated bloodshed led by a who’s who of Hollywood beefcakes. If you ever wondered what it might look like to watch Superman, Reacher, and Santanico Pandemonium beat up Nazis, then this movie is for you.

What Is ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ About?

Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson are the first members of “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” that audiences meet. Posing as two hapless Swedish men, Gus March-Phillipps and Anders Lassen, they make quick work of a crew of Nazis angling for trouble aboard their vessel. This blood-soaked scene sets the stage for the who, what, and why of the entire mission as Gus looks back on his first encounter with a mysterious man named “M” (Cary Elwes). In reality, “M,” otherwise known as Brigadier Gubbins, is one of the main power players in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), covertly working at the behest of Prime Minster Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear, looking shockingly similar to Christian Bale’s titular Vice) to put together a team of soldiers willing to work outside of the rules of war.

It’s during this meeting with “M” that Gus meets another key historical figure: Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) who watches on with rapt attention as the rambunctious flirt sniffs out expensive liquor, pinches fine cigars, and calls the shots in a room full of shirts that would happily send him back to jail. While Cavill’s Gus is a bit too rough around the edges to bear any true resemblance to the 007 that Fleming allegedly conjured up after Operation Postmaster, it’s quite clear that Ritchie ascribes to the theory that Gus March-Phillipps was the inspiration behind Bond, James Bond.

In addition to Ritchson’s soft-spoken Swedish maniac, Gus enlists a handful of other do-good ne’er-do-wells to join him on the mission, including the pyromaniac Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding) who can swim with his legs tied together; the whip-smart Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer) who already managed to get himself taken by the Nazis before the start of the film; and the mild-mannered Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) who is honestly, just happy to be included. “M” also introduces Gus to Mr. Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) who runs a lucrative and advantageous bar on the island, and the stunning Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González) who will distract the Nazis, if need be.

How Does ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Compare to Similar Films?

Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn seem to have very similar niches in Hollywood, at least where ragtag bands of elite spies, bound together by the common goal of killing Nazis, are concerned. For fans of this particular brand of nonsensical, murderous merriment, both writer-directors never fail to deliver enjoyable features. However, Ungentlemanly Warfare is a mite bit more enjoyable than The King’s Man, if only because it draws more liberally from the real-life heroics of everyday heroes. Both men seem quite keen to reimagine their own James Bond-esque heroes, and perhaps we should let them keep churning out these crowd-pleasers until someone is cast as James Bond.

Even looking back at Ritchie’s own filmography, Ungentlemanly Warfare is leagues ahead of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and yes—the film version of The Gentleman. With this film, it seems that Ritchie has perfected the recipe for outlandish action, garnished with well-meaning humor. But that’s not to say that Ungentlemanly Warfare isn’t without faults. At times, the characters feel like stereotypical caricatures of their specialty skills—which lends itself to making the film feel a bit hollow. The characters lack any individual character arcs and are instead propped up by the overarching mission which serves in place of actual character growth. There isn’t even friction between any member of the team to build character or create tension, but it also doesn’t seem like Richie ever planned to stray far from the course of the mission. It is exactly what it’s billed as, and maybe that’s okay.

The biggest issue with Ungentlemanly Warfare is the fact that March-Phillipps and his band of rag-tag soldiers have plot armor nearly as thick as the Duchessa d’Aosta’s iron-clad hull. By design, Richie has transformed ordinary soldiers into a team of ridiculously ripped, adept warriors who are no match for the cartoonishly inept Nazis they’re up against. The souped-up heroics make for really epic visuals, but it does negate the real awe of Operation Postmaster. Yes, the real-life March-Phillipps and his men were commandoes, but these were not men who bore any likeness to their modern-day counterparts. And therein lies why Ian Fleming was inspired to create a suave yet entirely average master spy like James Bond. The stakes may not be as glaringly low for audiences who are unaware of the true story, but knowing the fate of each man certainly takes away from several key nail-biting moments.

Eiza González Is the MVP of ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’

While Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention to this film for a myriad of reasons, the least of which is the fact that Ritchson makes Cavill look small for the first time, González is the strongest member of this ensemble. When you look past the bulging muscles and glorious testosterone-laced humor, Ritchie actually handed the most compelling storyline to the film’s sole female lead. However, in order to achieve this, Ritchie does stray quite far from what is known about Marjorie Stewart’s real-life contributions to the mission and replaces what was likely just secretarial duties with a harrowing cat-and-mouse game with a deadly Nazi. Each member of the team has a personal reason for wanting to take down Hitler and the Nazis, outside of it being the right thing to do, but Marjorie is the only character that allows the audience to see the beating heart of their motivation at play.

As part of the plan, Mr. Heron introduces Marjorie to the sinister Heinrich Luhr (TilSchweiger) who runs the whole operation on Fernando Po. She masquerades as a gold dealer keen to make a deal with Luhr, all the while trying to seduce him into complacency so they can enact their plan with as little interference as possible. While Ungentlemanly Warfare dances around revealing the full breadth of the depravity that Luhr gets up to in his free time, he seems like the sort of character that would go by the nickname “The Butcher” with glee. Schweiger is unsettling in the role, and he proves himself to be a master of acting with his eyes.

There is a lot to be said about directors like Ritchie only ever having one—maybe two—women in their casts, but there’s perhaps even more to be said about the fact that those few women always manage to carry the entire film’s emotional depth with their performance alone. González may not have the kill scores that the men walk away with, but the kills she does claim pack the most satisfying punch.

Is ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Worth Watching?

Despite its flaws, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for anyone who loves watching Nazis get decimated by a band of beautiful people. Ritchie knows how to build his action set pieces, and no matter how many times Ritchson rips out a Nazi’s heart or Cavill gleefully smirks as he guns them down, it’s always fun to watch.

The film’s costumes (designed by Ritchie’s long-time collaborator Loulou Bontemps) are similarly fun to look at. González is styled in stunning, if a little anachronistic, looks and Gus and his merry band of murderers are dressed like men living through war. Their woolly sweaters have holes in them (moth-eaten or war-torn is anyone’s guess) and are stained in various degrees of fresh and drying blood. Their outfits match their violence-driven personalities. Hayes looks like he just arrived from a Banshees of Inisherin audition, while Lassen’s too-tight shirt matches his mild-mannered personality and Gus’ penchant for pinching clothes off his victims adds to his uncertain demeanor. The costumes, in tandem with the film’s production design, ensure that even when there isn’t bloody action going down, there is always something compelling to feast your eyes on.

One thing is for sure, once audiences finish The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the Reacher fandom is going to grow in size, as new fans discover the glory of his turkey-sized fists.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is in theaters in the U.S. starting April 18. Click below for showtimes near you.

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