The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.
Guy Ritchie has come a long way since his 1998 indie breakout hit, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Since then, he has had his fair share of big hits; “Sherlock” and its sequel, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” “Aladdin,” “The Gentlemen,” “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” and “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant.” But he has also had his fair share of box-office flops; “Swept Away” (starring his then-wife Madonna), “Revolver, “RocknRolla,” and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.”
Ritchie is the sort of director who can direct drama, humor, and action, and depending on the story, all three. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” encompasses all three, and Ritchie delivers an enjoyable, escapist piece of entertainment that leans more towards humor and action but is not afraid to utilize the more serious aspects of the story. Since it is based on actual events that happened in 1940 during World War II, it’s hard to know, after a while, where the truth stops, and fiction takes over, but when has that ever stopped Hollywood?
Henry Cavill plays Gus March-Phillips, a Royal Artillery Officer Reservist hired by Major-General Colin McVean Gubbins (Cary Elwes), Winston Churchill’s right-hand man. Together, and secretly, they formed the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine British organization created to conduct espionage and sabotage operations in Nazi-occupied Europe. Gus assembles a seven-person team, and they learn that their mission is to locate and destroy two German merchant ships in the far-distant port of Fernando Po, in West Africa, that are filled with valuable Nazi provisions that will be used to supply German U-boats.
But there is a catch; if the British catches them, they will be disavowed and thrown in prison, but if the Nazis capture them first, they will be tortured and killed. Gus and his team acknowledge the dangers and agree to take on the mission and head off to West Africa to disrupt Nazi operations and kill as many of them as possible.
While the story takes place in West Africa, the cast and crew actually shot the movie in Antalya, Turkey. This gives the film a gorgeous real-world look instead of using greenscreen effects, like so many movies do these days, to save on production costs. From what I could tell, all the special effects throughout were shot practically, with minimal CGI. This element makes the film more authentic, and we can relate to the characters onscreen and the precarious situations they constantly find themselves in.
Henry Cavill, so used to playing straight-laced, serious characters – Superman, the Witcher, August Walker in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” and Napoleon Solo in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” – here, manages to get out from under his no-nonsense persona and indulge in an abundance of horseplay, all at the Nazis’ expense. His one-liners flow freely, as do his bullets. The rest of the cast are perfect in their respective roles, with Alan Ritchson’s Anders Lassen, a highly decorated Danish soldier, joining Gus on his mission and stealing many of the scenes, thanks to his hulking and intimidating demeanor and offbeat sense of humor. One scene in particular, where a group of Nazis board Gus and Anders’ boat, has the two men pretending to be on a gay love cruise, with both men pulling off the scene flawlessly.
Director Ritchie delivers an enjoyable two hours of non-stop action and humor, and while there are moments of gravitas, especially given the film’s subject matter, thankfully, they are quickly excused so our heroes can get on with the task at hand – killing Nazis with demented enthusiasm. The film leaves the door open for a sequel, which, in real life, did occur – many of the team members went on to fight other battles during World War II – and I could see this becoming a new franchise for Lionsgate, along the lines of “The Expendables,” which, judging by the latest entry, appears to be dead in the water.
In Theaters Friday, April 19th
