Guy Ritchie is dipping into the history books for his next action comedy, telling the story of Operation Postmaster, a British special ops mission that is credited with changing the course of World War II. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare — based on the nonfiction book by Damien Lewis — hits theaters on Friday, April 19, and people are taking to social media with their first reactions to the movie after catching an early screening of the war comedy, which reunites Ritchie with Henry Cavill. So what can we expect from this book-to-screen adaptation?
Henry Cavill leads The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s cast, along with Alan Ritchson, as Guy Ritchie provides a fictionalized portrayal of Winston Churchill’s 1940s special ops mission. As with other projects from the director, this movie seems to be full of smart banter and fun action, as Rama’s Screen tweets that the film is “hugely entertaining”:
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE was bloody terrific! The best WWII ragtag team since Inglorious Basterds. A feel awesome movie! Henry Cavill was such a charismatic leader. Hugely entertaining! Guy Ritchie has done it again.
They’re not the only ones comparing this movie to Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war flick, and @_shutupmatt writes that if you’re expecting a cross between Inglourious Basterds and the Kingsman movies, you won’t be disappointed. He writes:
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is Guy Ritchie’s take on Inglourious Basterds. With a dash of the Kingsman franchise. And if that sounds like something you’d enjoy, it delivers. It’s a bunch of witty banter and hot people brutally killing nazis for 2 hours. What’s not to like?
Hard to argue with that logic. Others who caught a screening of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare are lauding the flick as one of the best action movies of Guy Ritchie's career, including The Hollywood Handle, who calls it an “adrenaline rollercoaster”:
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a thrilling experience. An adrenaline rollercoaster that plunges viewers into a whirlwind of action. Meticulously choreographed combat scenes and a formidable cast, the film exudes an atmosphere of bravery. Ridiculously and aggressively funny, one of Guy Ritchie's best movies yet.
Fans of Guy Ritchie likely won’t be surprised to hear such comments about the fight scene choreography, and movie critic Nolan Ryan also has positive things to say about Henry Cavill (who's teaming up with Ritchie again for another movie) as Gus March-Phillipps and the film overall, writing:
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is such a FUN FILM! Henry Cavill carries this film with a charming and organic action comedy. This is a MUST SEE FILM!
The X (Twitter) user SerialViewer also writes of some of the director’s creative choices, and while they admit that some aspects of the movie are “clunky,” the performances and exciting action are enough to justify purchasing a ticket. The movie fan writes:
Aims to be a throwback WW2 actioner, complete with tropes like silent guns and incompetent Nazis, and a few silly scenes and clunky lines aside it largely works, with charming characters and explosive action.
ScreenRant's Joseph Deckelmeister says he enjoyed the film as well, as the action and comedy are well-balanced, and it allows us to celebrate some heroic efforts that we may not have been aware of. The critic says:
I had a blast watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a blast! This is one of Henry Cavill & Eiza González’s best performances. Guy Ritchie does a tremendous job of blending action & comedy, while shining a light on heroes from World War II that I didn’t know about.
James Hancock also says this movie is worth the watch, even if it doesn’t compare to others pertaining to this conflict. The critic tweets:
While not on the level of classic WW2 adventure movies, Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is well worth a look just to see Alan Ritchson unleash a biblical level of bloody mayhem.
Lane Mills of Geek Vibes Nation agrees with the above that the latest effort from Guy Ritchie doesn’t quite live up to expectations. In the critic’s words:
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not as good as I wanted it to be. Despite some fun bits of action and wit, Ritchie’s signature flair feels watered down here. Beyond a compelling aesthetic, there’s little in the way of innovation. Still, see it and decide for yourself!
There are definitely some things to unpack, as it sounds like some people found a few bones to pick with the upcoming movie. We’ll be able to gauge more when reviews come out Tuesday. If you want to start planning your trip to see The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the movie will hit the big screen on Friday, April 19, and be sure to check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is coming soon.
