The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Review

Cast: Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchison, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza Gonzalez, Henry Golding, Rory Kinnear, Babs Olsunmokun
Director: Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie's relatively straight take on a war story lacks the whistles and bells needed for such a tale and it unfortunately shows during this 2 hour drama that really does feel like it's missing some vital ingredients.

With a promising start that sets the scene nicely, the film's desire to thread a tale of derring do for a small group of plucky fighters out to sink a Nazi U-boat during the 1940s just doesn't quite live up to its admittedly charismatic start.

Perhaps in some ways, it's good to see a Guy Ritchie film that doesn't go overboard, but there's a distinct feeling the film just has little else to offer outside of the kind of movie you can have on in the background and not fully pay attention to.

Cavill's extremely muted as the leader of the squad in the undercover mission after displaying some real charisma early. More of the frisson of excitement is provided by Eiza Gonzalez and Babs Olsunmokun's characters and their infiltration spy side missions.

More successful are the bursts of action that populate swathes of the film. If you're after a film that's about killing Nazis, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare certainly provides on that front. Equally the attention to period detail and costuming is second to none, with wartime attire offering more than enough visual thrill to compensate for a more lacklustre narrative.

However, ultimately Ritchie's film fails to fully grasp what makes a good war mission movie soar - a smattering of tension, a cast you care about and a threat to life that feels tangible - consequently, it doesn't deliver a spectacle deserving of its subject matter. 

Extremely muted and wildly undeserving, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare hints at future installments - but based on this, it's just not strong enough to warrant seeing them recalled for any further action.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is streaming on Prime Video now.