The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Guy Ritchie is no stranger to action movies, British comedies, or the spy genre. From Snatch to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Wrath of Man, Ritchie has shown a unique vision when bringing these genres together. His latest film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare combines all three genres that are very loosely based on real-life people and missions during WWII who tried to stop the Nazis by stealing a few war boats. With some of the biggest names in action and muscles along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a solid action comedy that ties an indirect knot into 007 James Bond.

The film is based on the 2014 book Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis and centers around the real declassified mission titled Operation Postmaster. To stop the Nazis from taking over the UK, real-life man Gus March Phillipps (Henry Cavill aka Kal-El) assembles his own Avenger team that includes Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson aka Jack Reacher) and Majorie Stewart (Eiza Gonzalez) to take on an Impossible Mission assigned by Winston Churchill to disrupt the re-ups for the Germans that resulted in the USA entering the game to help defeat Hitler and his army. The one cool element is that Ian Fleming who was notably in England's Naval Intelligence Division during WWII went on to write the James Bond novels. It is said that Fleming's inspiration for Bond was Cavill's character, Gus March Phillipps.

Guy Ritchie allows himself to have some fun with these characters on their violent mission which resembles Ritchie's previous body of work. Even in the first sequence onboard a boat, Cavill and Ritchson are pretending to be captured by Germans only to have some witty dialogue at their expense before the bloodshed begins that results in some comedic gentlemanly talk amongst these soldiers. This is a pattern in his movies that works perfectly with audiences who receive action and male-centric jokes hand-in-hand where it's all on display throughout The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

In its two-hour runtime, there are some slower moments of the elite ops team trying to strategize their mission, however, when the action commences, it's pure Guy Ritchie madness with dazzling production design set during WWII with some ultra-violent kills that are met with one-liners and smiling muscular faces. There aren't any of those upside-down chaotic camera angles that were seen in Ritchie's other films like Rock N' Rolla or Snatch. The action has a wider scope and allows the carnage to be inescapable with frenetic cuts and edits which is a nice addition. Ritchson is stunning here and should be the next big action star. His work in Jack Reacher is outstanding and it shows here in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare that he outshines even Superman in every scene with gravitas, comedy, and muscles. This is a fun action-comedy that despite some slow beats, showcases an unheard-of mission that inspired the character of James Bond.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare battles its way to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code via Lionsgate. The two discs are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork features the four main characters of the film with tons of explosions, boats, and planes in the background. Ritchson is even holding an archery set. There is an insert for a digital code. 

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare comes with a 2160p UHD 4K image with HDR10 upgrades. This is a fantastic-looking film with an amazing color palette. The opening sequence has amazing blues in the sky and in the ocean that are very discernable. This mixes with the bold brown wood of the ship and the white and blue sailor outfits that everyone is wearing. Once the action flips the switch, the blood-red color splatters in a striking way. Sandy beaches look off-white with green leaves in trees and more stunning blue bodies of water.

The HDR10 accentuates these nuanced colors in the different locations. Interiors provide darker rooms with deep-colored woods and inky black levels that show no signs of crush or murky shadows. The nighttime action scenes provide amble darkness that allows the firey explosions and gun blasts to brighten up the screen with oranges and yellows. The detail is very sharp and vivid with excellent closeups that reveal facial pores, individual hairs on Cavill's face, makeup applications, and gory wounds on nazis. The guns, boats, and textures in the wardrobe all provide extravagant detail that looks great in the darker sequences. There are no video issues to speak of here.

This release has an impressive Dolby Atmos track that combines action and thrills in an immersive experience. The sound effects are robust and boisterous from the get-go. The stabbing noises into bodies sound loud and gnarly while the big explosions of warships and smaller vehicles pack a big punch. The ocean noises of waves and birds come through the surround speakers nicely. The height speakers bring down debris, explosions, and gunshots from above, adding another element to the sound design.

The score always adds to the suspense of the film and the dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow. The low end of the bass kicks in with a fantastic rumble that never crosses into rocky territory. The quiet moments of planning the mission allow for the voices to be heard all over the room with great transition and a wide dynamic range. This is a top-notch Dolby Atmos track.

There is only one real bonus feature here, which is a better-than-average collection of interviews with the cast and crew set with some behind-the-scenes footage.

• The Ministry of Filmmaking (HD, 25 Mins.) - This a great collection of interviews and on-set footage that discusses the various elements of production and the real-life people this was all based on. I only wish there was more to see.
• Trailer (HD, 2 Mins.) The theatrical trailer for the film.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a very good addition to the Guy Ritchie film slate. It combines his best intentions for a spy-action-comedy movie with some of the biggest names in movies and TV at the moment. Plus, he gets to tell the fictionalized story of the real-life mission that inspired James Bond. The 4K image with HDR10 looks excellent and the Dolby Atmos track sounds exquisite. The one bonus feature is worth watching, however, there should have been more. Recommended! 

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