Guy Ritchie loves his blokes. He’s got a show on Netflix called The Gentlemen, which is set in the same world as the 2020 film of the same name, and now, we’ve got gents being um, ungentlemanly in their fight with Nazis. All is fair in love and war, right chaps?

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on Damien Lewis’s 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. Derived from recently declassified files of the British War Department, it reveals the first-ever special ops formed by UK PM Winston Churchill. One of the military officers is Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox), yep the author of the James Bond spy novels, when he was part of Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division. It’s come full circle for Henry Cavill, who was one of the frontrunners to play 007, as apparently Fleming’s Bond was inspired by his character, Major Gus March-Phillips. Cavill relishes his comedic charm and his twirly mustache gives Poirot a run for his money.

Ritchie puts his own wild spin on this historical story and arms the movie with plenty of ammo and cheeky humor. There’s a lot of wink-wink, nod-nod from the get-go, starting from the time Gus was recruited by Special Operations Executive (SOE), a secret organization loyal to Churchill led by Brigadier Gubbins (Cary Elwes). Gubbin’s code name ‘M’ likely inspires 007’s MI6 chief in the Bond series.

We’re led to believe Gus is the right man for this risky covert mission, described as ‘unsanctioned, unofficial, and unauthorized.’ Most people know how formidable the German U-boats are, capable of destroying merchant vessels carrying supplies to Allied forces. The only way to gain an advantage in the war is to cut supplies to those killer subs. ‘If Hitler isn’t playing by the Rules, then neither shall we,’ says Churchill (Rory Kinnear, buried under heavy prosthetic), fully aware that this mission could cost him his job.

Naturally, Gus demands his own crew of rogues and mavericks: Danish hulking soldier with killer archery skills Anders (Alan Ritchson), demolition expert Freddy (Henry Golding), master strategist Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), and Irish sailor Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The crew must sink this enormous German supply ship The Duchessa, carrying carbon dioxide filters that allow for the U-boats’ prolonged diving. Judging from the crew’s relaxed, nonchalant demeanor, you’d never know this is a high-stakes mission. Pictured together on the sailboat, they look like models in a vintage, naval-themed fashion photoshoot.

Let’s kill some Nazis!!!

Anders is like Katniss on steroids

‘Remember gentlemen, try to have fun.’ Cavill’s Gus would tell the crew. That frivolity is the same approach Ritchie takes with the story. Most of the action takes place in Fernando Po island off the coast of West Africa where The Duchessa is docked. There they meet undercover SOE agents Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) and Marjorie (Eiza González), and later gain another ally in a West African prince educated in Eton, Kambili (Danny Sapani) who share their disdain for the Nazis. As the only girl, González doesn’t get to do much besides being alluring, but she displays her knack for singing, which is much more than I can say about her British accent.

The team seems to have things under control at first, that is until they find out the Germans have added extra reinforcements that make the cargo ship unsinkable. So they opt to steal it instead which is even more dicey than their already dangerous plan. The screenplay is credited to four people: Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel, and Ritchie, but more writers don’t exactly result in a better script. The lighthearted, frivolous tone of the movie makes the operation lack any real tension.

The action is bombastic with plenty of shoot-outs blowing Nazis to smithereens but not particularly gory. The bloodiest scenes are when Anders goes on a rampage with a knife and ax. The Nazis don’t seem all that menacing except for glowering Til Schweiger’s Heinrich with his sadistic bent. There are similarities to Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglourious Basterds, where a ragtag group of soldiers are hellbent on killing Nazis, but that one has plenty of nail-biting scenes that are largely absent from this one.

Those expecting to see an edge-of-your-seat thriller or a gritty, character-driven war picture should look elsewhere. Ritchie’s underrated The Covenant has a solemn weight to it, but this action romp is more akin to Rocknrolla and Snatch, but fortunately more enjoyable than Operation Fortune. If you’re a fan of Ritchie’s high-energy schtick, you’d likely enjoy Ungentlemanly Warfare. The fun vibe is largely thanks to the chemistry of the cast who clearly is having a jolly good fun here. So if you’re looking for an amusing distraction for two hours, you could do worse than this one.

Have you seen Guy Ritchie’s latest movie? Well, what did YOU think?

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