Jakarta. Filmmaker Guy Ritchie is back with another work: “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”, a fun take on World War II history.

The two-hour movie portrays a heavily fictionalized version of an actual British special operation: Operation Postmaster. In the film, British then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) appointed a group of mavericks on an off-the-books mission to destroy the Duchessa cargo ship in an attempt to disrupt the Nazi’s supply operation. The cunning Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill) becomes the leader of the assembled group. Its members include Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson), Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding), Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), and Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) -- all give color to the group of misfits. Special Operations Executive agents Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González) and Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) are also joining the mission. 

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is a blend of action, humor, wit, and history retold in a light-hearted tone -- as seen in a recent special screening. 

The humor does not feel cheap -- the kind of comedy that brings laughter or chuckles to the theater-- without going over the top. Not to mention Gus’s non-stop antics that personally kept me guessing what he would do next. While it is not the kind of comedy film that makes you laugh until your stomach hurts, the witty banter is still quite entertaining to watch.

Action-wise, you will notice that Gus and his gang never really struggle when defeating the other soldiers. To put it in gaming terms, the movie feels like you are playing a level-30 character against opponents that are still on level-5. This “good-guys-always-win” style may make the fighting scenes not as suspenseful, but they still give you a rush of adrenaline, especially when Lassen beats the Nazis with a bow and arrow. Or when Heron suddenly takes out a pocket pistol after his cover almost gets blown. 

Cavill shines the brightest in the acting department, although that does not mean the others are lacking. In fact, pretty much everyone did a pretty good job at portraying their characters. Ritchson deserves some praise for playing the smiley archer Lassen. The same goes for González’s performance as the charming Marjorie.

Moving on to the acoustic department, Christopher Benstead’s scores for “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” are quite pleasing to the ears. Benstead’s “A Team of Misfits” and “Operation Postmaster” also really set the mood as the gang sets sail on the daring mission.

All in all, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is an enjoyable movie.

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