The reviews divide widely, and the mean of 54 hides a spread that runs from warm to hostile. The kinder notices, mostly from the American trades, take it as a breezy men-on-a-mission lark and praise Henry Cavill, the ensemble’s easy chemistry and Guy Ritchie’s handling of the violent set pieces; a few also single out the swinging score and the costumes. The reservations cluster around tone and pace. Many critics find the film unsure whether it wants to be a caper or a combat thriller, slack between the action, thin on character and short of real danger or verbal wit, and several object to how freely it rewrites history. Vulture notes how much it owes to Inglourious Basterds. The sharpest dissent comes from the British broadsheets on the later UK release, with The Times calling the script workmanlike and the sets cheap, and The Telegraph judging it a misfire that swaps jokes for kill-shots.
V
Variety
16 April 2024 · Peter Debruge
80*
Praises the spirited WWII coup led by Henry Cavill and the ensemble's chemistry in this men-on-a-mission tale, noting Ritchie's fun take on history despite some formulaic elements.
Read the full review →E
Evening Standard
25 July 2024 · Vicky Jessop
75*
The critic finds it a slick, fun Boys' Own adventure war film that dodges many of Ritchie's usual tropes in favour of stylish action. She singles out the jauntily executed, entertaining action sequences for praise while noting the flimsy characters and lack of depth.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
18 April 2024 · Katie Walsh
75*
Finds the film an entertaining homage to real-life war heroes with verve, dry English humor, and stylish pulp myth-making, though a bit languidly paced.
Read the full review →E
Empire
25 July 2024 · John Nugent
65*
The critic calls it a silly, ahistorical action-comedy that is energetic and breezy but flawed in tone, structure and character depth. He singles out the director's handling of the ultraviolent action sequences for praise while noting miscasting and lack of real stakes.
Read the full review →R
RogerEbert.com
17 April 2024 · Glenn Kenny
60*
The critic notes the film's entertaining anti-Nazi action sequences with Ritchie bravura but criticizes its languid pacing between set pieces, lack of verbal crackle, and grating historical inaccuracies.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
17 April 2024 · ★★★
60
The critic finds it an adequate, workmanlike three-star Guy Ritchie effort that works as a mid-budget crowd-pleaser with energy and violent action sequences but lacks memorable zingers or lasting impact.
Read the full review →T
Time Out
17 April 2024 · ★★★ · Elizabeth Weitzman
60
The critic finds it a cheerfully amusing, sturdy piece of entertainment with charismatic lads blowing stuff up, but notes it's tough to get too involved and favors style over substance. Praises the swinging score and costumes.
Read the full review →V
Vulture
18 April 2024 · Bilge Ebiri
40*
It is not very good but hard to dislike for its genial day-drunk romp tone; the film leans too far into upper-crust British attitudes, cribs shamelessly from Inglourious Basterds, and lacks real danger or suspense.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
16 April 2024 · Derek Smith
35*
Ritchie’s action-comedy never quite settles on what type of film it wants to be; it is a cheeky but undercooked WWII yarn that is breezy yet weightless, cartoonish, and lacking in dramatic impact or nuance despite some thrilling sequences.
Read the full review →The critic describes it as a flat, uninspired misfire and botched mission, criticizing the workmanlike script, cheap sets, and sloppy action despite the subject fitting the director’s style.
Read the full review →T
The Telegraph
24 July 2024
20*
The critic calls it a terrible misfire that feels like an attempt to make Carry On Churchill but replaces jokes with kill-shots, with most of the runtime devoted to carnage rather than plot or wit.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
16 April 2024 · David Rooney
The film is diverting but awkwardly stuck between a larkish caper and a gripping combat thriller, with lots of explosions but little explosiveness and an execution that fails to maximize the story’s potential.
Read the full review →/
/Film
16 April 2024 · 5/10 · Jeremy Mathai
50
The critic finds it a fun but forgettable mixed bag with strong performances and enjoyable action sequences, but criticizes tonal inconsistency, uneven pacing, and a script that struggles to balance its comedic and dramatic elements.
Read the full review →D
Deadline
16 April 2024 · Pete Hammond
The critic praises the lively, fun WWII adventure led by Henry Cavill under Guy Ritchie, noting the team's repartee and action as highlights despite some excessive dialogue.
Read the full review →The critic finds it a slick, satisfying men-on-a-mission thriller where Guy Ritchie balances Nazi threat with fun violence and hunky heroes, with Cavill delightful and music a standout.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate