Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare trailer breakdown: 3 key takeaways

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an upcoming action spy film by the acclaimed English director Guy Ritchie. Starring Henry Cavill (known for his work in The Witcher and Man of Steel) and Eiza González (known for Baby Driver and Bloodshot), the trailer for the upcoming film was released by Lionsgate Movies on January 30.

The official synopsis of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as per Lionsgate Movies, reads:

"Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming."

The film, directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie, is all set to release in theaters in the USA on April 19, 2024.

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3 significant takeaways from Guy Ritchie's action spy film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare trailer

1) The film dramatizes true events that changed the course of history during the WWII

The upcoming film is based on the book, Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII, by Damien Lewis. It sheds light on the Special Operations Executive, a secret organization formed by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It focuses on how this group combated the Nazis using covert techniques during WWII.

The synopsis of the film provides further insight into this unit and reads:

"The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly 'ungentlemanly' fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.”

While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a dramatized version of the story with layers of comedy sprinkled throughout, the film recounts a very important event that changed the way warfare developed in modern history.

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2) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is packed with action sequences

Guy Ritchie is known for his action films and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is packed with powerful and high-octane sequences. The trailer starts with bold action scenes, providing fans with a glimpse of what they can expect when the film releases in April.

The second half of the trailer follows Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill) and his team taking out Nazis in various scenarios while the iconic Queen song Another One Bites the Dust plays in the background. The film promises to be an intense watch as it features close-quarter action sequences, naval fights, and aerial warfare, as seen in the trailer.

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3) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is reminiscent of another WWII film, Inglourious Basterds

The plot of Guy Ritchie's upcoming film, which includes covert operations, an erratic leader, and a plan to take down Nazis, traces the foundations of Black Ops warfare. The way in which the trailer is arranged makes the film seem rather similar to the iconic WWII film Inglourious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino.

One can draw parallels between Henry Cavill's Gus March-Philips and Brad Pitt's Lieutenant Aldo Raine. One of the most reminiscent sequences from the trailer is when Gus walks into a room full of Nazis who are laughing and joins them in their laughter before raining fire upon them.

Inglourious Basterds followed a similar trajectory as it also featured a group of American soldiers on a covert mission to eliminate Nazis, albeit from France.

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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will be distributed by Lionsgate Movies and released in theaters in the USA on April 19, 2024.