3 Short Paragraphs (Or Not): The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

2024, Guy Ritchie (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) -- download

I am getting a lot of headcanon these days, and in this one, the Cary Elwes character Nathan, from Operation Fortune, is the descendent of Brigadier Gubbins (Cary Elwes, BlackBerry), dubbed 'M' by his friends. Gubbins was responsible for Operation Postmaster, a top secret, off-the-books operation by the British government to disrupt U-boat activity in the Atlantic, which would allow America to safely enter WWII. That much is history whether or not he was the ancestor or Nathan.

In the movie, Gubbins collects a bunch of nere-do-wells to perform this operation, under the watchful eye of one Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox, Slow Horses); yes that Ian Fleming. They are led by currently incarcerated Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), and include Swede Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson, Titans), guy-who-likes-to-blow-stuff-up Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding, The Gentlemen), and a handful of others. They are to proceed to Spanish island Fernando Po, off the coast of Africa, to sink an Italian freighter full of munitions and supplies for the German U-boat fleet. Along the way they have to pick up a saboteur (Alex Pettyfer, Chief of Station) on the Canary Islands, where he is held and being tortured by the Gestapo. Already on Fernando Po are spies Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González, Baby Driver) and Richard Heron (Babs Olusanmokun, Dune), who are established and manipulating things there.

I started this post soon after I watched the movie, but already it is creeping into the I Saw This (!!) realm cuz.... while I remember scenes, nothing stands out.... emotionally?

The plan should be quiet straight forward. This murderous bunch takes care of the island of Gestapo quite easily, gleefully and with gusto and lots of tongue-sticking-out. Except when they arrive on Fernando Po, they learn the ship has been further reinforced and has become quite unsinkable. So, they decide to steal it instead.

This movie wanted to be one of those British WWII cheerful mission movies full of tomfoolery and comradery, you know, like The Guns of Navarone or something with David Niven. And in a lot of ways it was that movie, except it doesn't stick. Nothing is quite memorable, the relationships are serviceable, but ... just. I enjoyed the movie but ... just.

It is at this point in writing this post where I wonder if its the "i just woke up from a nap" brain that has nothing really to say, or that I really should see most movies (at least) TWICE these days to formulate an actual opinion and be able to articulate it. Let's leave it at that and maybe I will do something crazy and do a soon-after rewatch post where I say more? Maybe. Unlikely.