How Does The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Stack Up Against Ritchie’s Other Films?
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is the latest offering in Guy Ritchie’s extensive directorial catalogue. The iconic British director has covered a variety of genres throughout his career, but this marks the first time he has taken on the topic of World War II.
The latest picture was popular among viewers and critics alike and highlights how Ritchie is able to diversify. However, the 55-year-old may not have managed to recapture the brilliance of his earliest pictures with this offering.
Leveraging the Power of WWII in the Mainstream
The World War II genre is always a good option for filmmakers, as it continues to be prevalent in the mainstream. This is highlighted by the booming online casino industry, where these themes attract a lot of players. Paddy Power site offers online slot machines in a range of themes, with D-Day one of its top WWII options. It’s a new game that attracts a lot of players, underlining how many people are in search of this theme.
There have also been countless recent films set during World War II. Along with appealing to a broad demographic, they often get nominated for awards. Schindler’s List is one of the most famous examples of this, and the 1993 offering from Steven Spielberg picked up seven accolades at the 66th Academy Awards. More recently, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk was nominated for eight Oscars at the 90th Academy Awards, and it won four.
A Solid Entry into Ritchie’s Catalogue
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has garnered plenty of positive reviews across the board, with The Bulwark praising the performances as well as the fun and straightforward action sequences. It compared the offering to James Bond, with Henry Cavill revelling in his role as Gus March-Phillips. It has an average critical rating of 6.2/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that it’s a solid entry but not up there with Ritchie’s best works ever.
The picture was reasonably successful commercially and beat its debut week projections of $5-8 million with a total of $9 million. It has gone on to rack up $21.6 million so far, putting it way behind Ritchie’s biggest blockbusters such as the director’s two Sherlock Holmes pictures.
Other Recent Ritchie Offerings
Ritchie has been particularly busy over the last few years, with Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, The Covenant, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare all released since 2021. In the Grey is on the way in 2025, and Fountain of Youth is yet to have a confirmed release date.
Of all these pictures, the WWII offering is the second-highest ranked on Rotten Tomatoes. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is the Englishman’s first foray into the war genre, and it’s also one of his top-rated offerings of all time.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is worth a watch for Ritchie fans and newcomers alike. The director’s first foray into the WWII genre is impressive and is ranked highly among his works over the years.