Incredibly fun and deliciously action-packed, Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has all the makings of a classic: humor, excitement, violence, and Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson kicking serious Nazi ass.
I went into Ministry completely blind. Had no idea who was in it. What it was about. What type of movie it was. What a pleasant f**king surprise.
The opening scene sets the tone, a gloriously amusing and incredibly bloody sequence of events that introduces us to many of the key characters and immediately establishes what’s to come. From start to finish Ministry is full of energy, color, and Nazi brain matter. Ritchie always has several things in play at once; they work synergistically, building off one another as they mount toward a highly rewarding climax.
While not exactly the same in terms of style and tone, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare feels like a cousin to Ritchie’s criminally underseen The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which blended action and irreverent comedy to maximum effect. Ministry is similarly funny and boasts several strong action scenes.
Both movies also star Henry Cavill, who is downright hilarious when he’s allowed to be. Ritchie has clearly figured out how to get the most out of the actor, as Cavill nails his part. Amusing, dashing, and slimy as hell, he earns his “ungentlemanly” badge. Equally good is Ritchson, best known for playing the title role in Reacher. Where Ritchie misses the mark: not enough time with the two actors together. The opening scene is fabulous in large part due to the ridiculous chemistry between the two men, but as more characters are introduced they aren’t given a lot of time to play off one another.
Eiza González, recently seen in 3 Body Problem, turns heads for more ways than one (hint: while she’s beautiful, she’s killer-good here).
There’s little not to like in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. If anything, I’d love to see this group back together for another mission (real or not) kicking more Nazi ass.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.
