Guy Ritchie is arguably one of the most stylish directors in Hollywood. Notable for his slow motion shots, and quick cuts, the director behind Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels has developed several trademarks throughout his notable career that really establish his unique brand. This is something incredibly evident in his Sherlock Holmes films and even Aladdin. So I was expecting more of the same (in a good way) from The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. However to my even more pleasant surprise, I found a more mature, subdued Ritchie within the fun and wit of this enjoyable war romp.

To adequately describe The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare I would say, simply put, it plays like a mashup of Ocean’s Eleven and Inglorious Basterds. And that’s not a bad thing. Too many times a year we’ll see an overly morose WWII film vying for Oscar attention. But with Ministry, we get a reverent war film that’s actually a lot lighter and breezier than your typical WWII movie, while still paying proper homage to the true stories of the heroes depicted in the film, and their impressive careers. And it’s because of that reverence that Ritchie pulls back on his typical bag of tricks, choosing instead to handle the material with elegance and grace, despite what the marketing may have you believe.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tells the true story of Operation Postmaster: a special classified, unsanctioned British operation during WWII. Essentially, during the war, the power of Germany’s U-Boats was overwhelming, preventing the U.S. from joining the war. So, with the UK’s backs against the wall, Churchill decides to assemble a crew to destroy and sabotage German naval efforts along the coast of Fernando Po in West Africa, led by Major Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill), to empower the U.S. to join the fight against Hitler and the Axis powers. Because the mission was highly classified, and the techniques unheard of and unorthodox for its time, the rag tag group of heroes essentially conducted a mission that would become the foundation for modern day black ops espionage today.

Off the bat, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a lot of fun. However, if, from the marketing campaign, you’re expecting something along the lines of The A-Team or The Suicide Squad, check those expectations at the door. Yes there’s exciting action sequences and a lot of funny exchanges. But not as much as you’d think, since Ritchie is actually playing up the fact that this is, in fact, a true story about true heroes. And as such, he never makes them caricatures or archetypes of the typical “man on a mission” rag tag team. It’s actually a bit more grounded than one may think, given the film’s title and energetic trailers. And that’s not a bad thing.

The tension and sense of adventure comes from watching this ensemble work to do everything they can to carry out the mission. As such, a lot of the story is handled through dialogue and strategy more so than shooting and explosions. And that’s okay. There are still those elements, of course, but in that regard, based off the marketing campaign, the movie is a bit of a bait and switch, declaring itself to be an action war film, when in reality, it’s a war heist film. I suppose those who know the actual real-life story behind the film would be in the know, but those who won’t should be pleasantly surprised about how charming and exciting the movie can be without an abundance of big bangs.

Part of the reason that works so well is because the ensemble works so well. They’re split up into two groups. Cavill is paired up with his motley crew including Alan Ritchson’s delightful Anders Lassen, Henry Golding’s Freddy Alvarez, Alex Pettyfer’s Geoffrey Appleyard, and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as Henry Hayes. Their portion of the film is where most of the action and comedic banter takes place. Cavill and Ritchson are utterly charming, with Golding, Pettyfer and Fiennes-Tiffin providing strong supporting roles with their leaders.

Ritchson in particular is hilarious, and badass. He’s almost this film’s equivalent of Hugo Stiglitz from Inglorious Basterds (ironic since Til Schweiger is also in the film), running around sniping folks quietly with his Hawkeye archery skills and knifing them left and right. It sounds brutal, but the film makes it so the violence is quick and clean, never dwelling on it. Which is a nice touch, given it’s not trying to fetishize or glorify the horror of war. But also, to paraphrase Cavill’s character in the film, “try to have some fun.” And these scenes and Ritchson and Cavill’s performances steer into that energy, helping the movie retain a sense of lightheartedness among the tasteful violence.

However, the other part of this film belongs to the terrific Eiza González and Babs Olusanmokun. Their half of the movie is the true espionage piece of the narrative. Their characters Marjorie Stewart and Heron are the ones fully going undercover behind enemy lines, using trick gadgets and secret radios to communicate intel to British Intelligence.

González in particular is given such a wonderful, multifaceted character, pulling out all the stops in a fantastic performance that requires her to speak in multiple languages, be a badass with a gun, sing, dance, and charm. And yet, González also is able to subtly inject complex humanity within this character that has seen and experienced challenges. If I had to give the film a true MVP, it would be her, given how wowed I was by what she was able to do with the character, and how little she’s given credit as a terrific actress. Olusanmokun is also strong, being the eyes on the ground and the primary point of contact for March and his motley crew. And he performs the role quite well, infusing believability into a character meant to be the smartest guy in the room, and one of the linchpins of the operation.

The script is reasonably sharp, and witty, with fine work from the collective team of Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, Arash Amel, and Ritchie himself. It portrays these characters as noble, even if they’re also caddish about other things. And ends up being a good use of the charms of each one of the ensemble to play to their strengths. And once more, I’m going to commend the restrained direction and execution from Ritchie. But something I really genuinely need to call out is the wonderful score by Christopher Benstead. This marks his sixth collaboration with Ritchie, starting with the original 2019 film, The Gentleman. And his score here for Ungentlemanly Warfare evokes shades of Ennio Morricone, providing tension, mood, and atmosphere to an elegant throwback war film.

Now as far as issues go, the movie’s not without its share. While generally entertaining and solid, I will say the one thing that’s lacking from the movie is any element of real danger. The only time it felt like any character was in any sense of jeopardy was when González’s character was going undercover at a costume party. But as far as the Ministry’s ploys to carry out their would-be high risk rescue and seize missions, it admittedly felt incredibly convenient. Perhaps a handful of things go wrong, but none to the same degree of anything you’d find in your typical heist film. There’s definitely more setbacks and perils in the Ocean’s Eleven films than Ungentlemanly Warfare, for better or worse. It doesn’t diminish the enjoyable nature of the movie, but it does temper the excitement a little.

Additionally, I do wish that outside Cavill, Ritchson, González, and Olusanmokun, the cast was given more to do. With a pretty sizable ensemble consisting of Golding, Pettyfer, and Fiennes-Tiffin, it would have been great to give them a lot more to do. But none of them has any particularly extensive lines. Their scenes are mostly action heavy, which isn’t bad per se. But those wishing for greater character development for those members of the cast will definitely get nothing of real substance, which is a shame given their respective talents.

All in all however, minor squabbles for an otherwise fun time at the movies! The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a reverent and subdued tribute to the heroes of Operation Postmaster, with a steady and subtle (at least more than usual) execution from Ritchie. The ensemble is terrific, blasting the film with charisma and kinetic energy that livens everything up, and the movie’s tone has a fun spy/heist feel that always feels cool, exciting, and slick. Overall, go in expecting a fun WWII caper, and you’ll come out smiling!

Overall Score: B+