Reacher Fans Need To Check Out Alan Ritchson's 2024 Action Comedy Flop

He might have spent a lengthy stint filling up television screens after three seasons as "Reacher," but Alan Ritchson is slowly but surely earning a little more presence on the big screen as well. After appearing in a handful of films like "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and starring in (and openly loathing his experience) as Raphael in the 2014 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Ritchson has gone on to join the "Fast and Furious" franchise, holding his own against Vin Diesel and Jason Momoa. It was in 2024, however, that he managed to steal the show from none other than the former Man of Steel in Guy Ritchie's "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." It's just a shame it wasn't particularly well received by audiences.

Inspired by actual events, WWII follows a small band of highly skilled soldiers ordered to go behind enemy lines and thwart Nazi naval operations. The team is led by Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill), and together, they use unorthodox methods of sabotage and subterfuge to prevent the enemy's plans. Met with a reasonably decent critical reception of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" unfortunately only received a limited theatrical debut upon its release, earning $29.7 million against a $60 million budget, before it was shipped to streaming. Worry not, though, as you can still check it out on Reacher's home of Prime Video, where you'll quickly notice that Ritchson is without a doubt the best thing in it.

On paper, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" has everything going for it. Reuniting "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." star Henry Cavill with director Guy Ritchie and telling a true story that was the inspiration of James Bond, there's so much for this movie to go right. Unfortunately, there's just wasn't enough juice in the tank to get it there, with our own Jeremy Mathai calling it a "fun but forgettable movie." The counterargument to make it a worthy watch, though, is Alan Ritchson stealing every scene he appears in as the one-man Nazi-murdering machine operates like John Rambo all while in tiny spectacles.

As Danish special ops soldier, Anders Lassen, Ritchson is having an absolute whale of a time as the unpredictable tearaway team member that heads off on his own, killing soldiers with nothing but a bow and arrow and any sharp implement he can get his hands on. One sequence in particular sees him tear through the corridors of a Nazi war boat in such a brutal fashion even Reacher might suggest he ease up a bit.

This and his brilliant realization of Lee Child's literary hero prove that Ritchson has it in him to carry a film, or even a franchise, on the big screen if someone just gives him a shot. For some time now, the star has made public pleas to play Batman (which we're absolutely all for), and it only takes a glimpse at his time as Anders Lassen to prove he's got the capability to do so.