This World War II film is prefaced by the frame, saying the story is based on facts, on newly declassified documents that date back to that period, and what transpired in 1942. Then the end credits do the usual, photos of the real people plus what happened to them after the events of the film - and this all adds up to just how tongue in cheek this little bit of history is, thanks to director Guy Ritchie, and the team of writers he worked with to concoct this loose interpretation of history.

There’s more than an element of absurdity and the early evening action serial in how Ritchie stamps his signature on these historical facts. It’s like he wants to have his own Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards and felt there was enough of Matthew Vaughn creating his own 20th-century historical universe - via Kingsmen. Ritchie wants to do his own stepping up to the plate, and he delivers something fun, visceral, action-packed, and relatively fast-paced. The question would be whether anyone cares at this point and if putting together the likes of Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, and Alan Ritchson (of Reacher fame) is enough to bring the ladies in for an action flick that the men would readily gravitate to. 

Based on a book by Damien Lewis, it chronicles the supposed start of black ops British-style and places Ian Fleming as one of the main architects supporting then Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Of course, we all know the real-life Fleming goes on to author the James Bond series of books. So, we’re meant to believe that the exploits presented here inspired Fleming to create his Bond character. And could we call this film Cavill’s audition for Bond? If you recall, when Ritchie made his 2015 film adaptation of Man From UNCLE, Cavill was in the cast. 

So now we have this Magnificent 7/Inglorious Bastards/Dirty Dozen ‘love child’, and it seems cliches and familiar war movie tropes are what Ritchie is out to present. The lone woman as ‘seducer’, killing hundreds of Nazis without batting an eyelash or a strand of hair out of place, and even innuendoes about being gay - that’s just the tip of the iceberg of cliches that abound in this film. Sisu, the excellent World War II film, had these Nazi cliches; but used them to its advantage last year. 

Here in Ministry, you can find yourself amused and entertained if you walk in with no expectations. The cast, especially Cavill and Ritchson, are having fun and know that by playing it so loose, there’s a certain doggie charm that’s being produced, which we can enjoy. Guy Ritchie has never effectively portrayed women roles, and this film is no exception. Eiza Gonzalez does her best, but there’s nothing substantial in the role beyond the stereotypical femme fatale. 

This heavily fictionalized depiction of the real Operation Postmaster is strong on the action but only a little else. When you consider this, it is Ritchie who was so impressive when he broke into the moviemaking scene via Lock, Stock, and Snatch (with one of Brad Pitt’s best acting performances yet as Mickey). This same Ritchie created interesting Sherlock Holmes reboots with Downey and Law. You have to consider this a mediocre result. Even his last two films, The Covenant and Operation Fortune, had more to them than this paint-by-numbers outing. Come for the action, but don’t expect more. 

Ministry opens in local cinemas on Wednesday, April 17.