Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie’s second collaboration together has once again found new life on streaming after becoming a box office disappointment last year. Released on April 19, 2024, the film in question had a budget of $60 million, but only managed to take in just $29 million in receipts. Now, it’s finding redemption on Starz, where it’s currently the eighth most popular movie on the streaming service.
Titled The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the action movie features “a little bit of everything” according to some fans, including elements of comedy, war, and drama, which all work together to create what’s been dubbed a “criminally underrated” modern classic. Based on author Damien Lewis’ 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII, Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is anything but historically accurate, as it definitely plays fast and loose with more than a few elements that were added for our entertainment. Check out the synopsis below:
“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare follows a secret British commando team during WWII who are recruited by Winston Churchill to carry out an off-the-books mission: infiltrate a Nazi-controlled port, sabotage enemy operations, and steal key Axis ships to shift the balance of the war. Led by the fearless Gus March-Phillipps (Cavill), the ragtag squad uses unconventional tactics, explosive action, and plenty of swagger to pull off a daring covert operation based on real events.”
Holding a 68% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a Verified Hot audience score of 91%, it’s clear that The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare divided viewers. Pundits called it “exhausting,” “forgettable,” and “crude,” while fans deemed it “super fun,” “Cavill’s best performance,” and “brilliant.” Some even went so far as to compare it to one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies:
“Magnificent, a total tribute to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, and most definitely Guy Ritchie’s best movie to date. It is bloody good, in every sense of the word. Pun intended. First-rate in every aspect of what filmmaking should be.”
What’s Next for Henry Cavill?
Following a pretty quiet 2025, Cavill is set to return to our screens in a big way when you consider he’s got no less than four major projects in the works right now, some of which are set to release next year. He’ll team up with Ritchie once again for the action thriller In the Grey, and he’s got the live-action version of Voltron currently in post-production which also stars Sterling K. Brown, Daniel Quinn-Toye, and Rita Ora.
Then there’s Netflix’s Enola Holmes 3 with Millie Bobby Brown that’s also in post, and early next year he’s set to finally begin filming the long-awaited reboot of Highlander alongside Russell Crowe and Dave Bautista, which was delayed due to an injury Cavill sustained while training. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of work for the former Man of Steel, who’s busier than ever these days.
Be sure to check out his memorable performance in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which is currently climbing the charts on Starz.
- Release Date
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April 19, 2024
- Runtime
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120 minutes