The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a 2024 spy action comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Guy Ritchie, and starring Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer. Based on the 2014 book Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, the film portrays a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Postmaster.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had its premiere on April 13, 2024, in New York and was released in the United States on April 19, 2024.
== Plot ==
In late 1941, at the height of World War II, the United Kingdom is struggling to halt Nazi Germany's attempts to take over Europe, with London regularly suffering bombing runs at the hands of the Luftwaffe. With their supply and aid ships constantly sunk by German submarines, Brigadier Colin Gubbins, with the indirect backing of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, prepares to initiate Operation Postmaster, an off the books black-ops sabotage mission intended to disrupt the Nazis' U-boat resupply operation on the Spanish-controlled island Fernando Po. While SOE agents Marjorie Stewart and Richard Heron depart by train, Gubbins enlists Gus March-Phillips to assemble a ground team to destroy the Italian supply ship Duchessa d'Aosta and two trolleys attached to it.
Utilizing the neutral Swedish fishing trawler Maid of Honor, Gus and his allies, Henry Hayes, Freddy Alvarez, and Danish naval officer Anders Lassen, begin the slow sail to Fernando Po. Upon discovering that SOE saboteur Geoffrey Appleyard, whom Gubbins had sent ahead on the assumption that Gus would show interest in wanting him on the team, was captured by Gestapo agents, they divert course to a Nazi-controlled section of the Canary Islands for a rescue mission. Meanwhile, arriving early on the island, Marjorie and Heron use the latter's 'illegal' gambling hall to recruit backup for Gus' team while Marjorie seduces Heinrich Luhr, the SS commander in charge. Upon learning that the Duchessa intends to depart three days ahead of schedule, Gus has his crew sail through a British naval blockade of Nazi-occupied West Africa despite knowing they'll be arrested should their unauthorized mission be discovered.
On the night of the intended raid, Marjorie and Heron learn that Luhr has had the Duchessa's hull reinforced despite the Italian attache's reservations. Barely warned of this in time, Gus and Appleyard decide that their best course of action is to hijack the ships and use them as a bartering chip after a mole in Gubbins' staff reveals the mission to senior command. Although Luhr eventually catches on when Marjorie's act begins to 'slip', the raid is ultimately successful, and Marjorie shoots Luhr in the head. Delivering the boats to a British fleet outside Lagos, the team is nonetheless arrested. While waiting to be court-martialed, they are saved and recruited by Churchill as part of his 'Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare', as their actions have not only severely damaged the Nazis' naval strength, but also have allowed the United States, who recently entered the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to join the European theatre.
A montage of details before the end credits reveal the post operation activities of several protagonists: Gus became a war hero and would helm several similar raids during the war before marrying Marjorie at the start of her acting career; Appleyard would receive several commendations for his role in the mission, much to the king's amusement; Hayes would go on to become a highly accomplished spy notable for surviving a year of Nazi torture without breaking; Lassen would go on to take part in raids outside the group until his death in 1945; Ian Fleming, who had been part of Gubbins' inner circle during this time, would use Operation Postmaster as the inspirational basis for his James Bond novels.
== Cast ==
== Release ==
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had its premiere on April 13, 2024, in New York and was released in the United States on April 19, 2024, by Lionsgate.
== Reception ==
===Box office ===
In the United States, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was released alongside Abigail and Spy × Family Code: White, and was projected to gross $5–8 million from 2,845 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $3.7 million on its first day, including $1.45 million from previews. It went on to debut to $9 million, finishing fourth behind Civil War, Abigail, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
===Critical response ===
 Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 88% positive score.
== External links ==
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== References ==
Category:2024 films
Category:2024 action films
Category:2020s action war films
Category:2020s American films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:2020s spy action films
Category:Action films based on actual events
Category:American action war films
Category:American films based on actual events
Category:American spy action films
Category:American World War II films
Category:British action war films
Category:British films based on actual events
Category:British spy action films
Category:British World War II films
Category:Black Bear Pictures films
Category:Films based on non-fiction books
Category:Films directed by Guy Ritchie
Category:Films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Category:Films shot in Turkey
Category:Films with screenplays by Guy Ritchie
Category:Lionsgate films
Category:Jerry Bruckheimer Films films
Category:Spy films based on actual events
Category:World War II films based on actual events
Category:World War II spy films
Category:Films starring Henry Cavill
Category:Films starring Eiza González
Category:Films starring Alan Ritchson
Category:Films starring Henry Golding
Category:Films starring Alex Pettyfer
Category:Films starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Category:Films starring Babs Olusanmokun
Category:Films starring Cary Elwes
Category:Films starring Til Schweiger
Category:Films starring Henrique Zaga
Category:Films starring Rory Kinnear
Category:Films starring Danny Sapani
Category:Films starring Freddie Fox
Category:Films starring Olaf Kayhan
Category:Films starring Mert Dincer
Category:Films starring Ethel von Brixham
Category:Films starring Koray Tarman
Category:Films
Category:Films starring Nail Abdrakhmanov