I enjoyed “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” immensely. It’s so much fun.
Henry Cavill, post his Superman roles in “Man of Steel” in 2013, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016 and “Justice League” in 2027, takes on the role of a real-life soldier in this Guy Ritchie-directed war comedy-with-drama that’s based on a true story.
It’s kind of in the same vein as Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourous Basterds.” All the repercussions involved in war take place in sort of a “Dirty Dozen” fashion involving Nazis.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this tale. I’m afraid it’s going to slip under the radar, though. It will likely gain traction next year or whenever it lands on streaming services.
Except for Cavill, Cary Elwes and Eiza González, most of the actors are unknowns. This is a movie where I can’t disclose much of the plot because if I talk too grandiosely about it, people might just hunt me down and kill me.
Ritchie, known for directing “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” in 1998 and “Sherlock Holmes” in 2009, knows where to place the camera in every scene. He obviously shot this fast-moving adventure for the big screen.
This World War II saga has the same tone as “Dirty Dozen” in that the secret mission is unsanctioned. You don’t really care about some of the characters, however, because many of them are Nazis.
Gus March-Phillips (Cavill) is both hero and anti-hero in this yarn. He’s a lot of fun to watch. Elwes is also really good as Brigadier Gubbins or “M.” As Marjorie Stewart, González is a heroine, unlike the jerks she played in “Baby Driver” (2017) and “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021).
I just can’t praise “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” enough. I was like the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland.” I was just grinning the whole time.
Grade: A
