The Monuments Men hits theaters today. Check out our review.
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| "How many times do I have to ask you to stop bringing up that Batman movie?" |
After a long delay, the untold story of The Monuments Men finally hits theaters this week with a nearly disastrous thud. What could have been an excellent World War II drama with a stellar cast ends up falling short of the greatness we've come to expect from these guys.
It's not a terrible film by any means, but it's one that fails to make the heroic connection that it tries so hard to accomplish. Were these men heroes? Yes. Did they put themselves in harm's way to save priceless art? Absolutely. But, The Monuments Men is extremely slow, lacks detail, and doesn't allot any time to building back story or the human component that could have made it a stand out feature.
I've heard numerous reports of fellow film enthusiasts falling asleep during the (multiple) dull parts of The Monuments Men. While I personally never dozed off, I can totally see how it could happen. For a movie that is about American heroes hunting down art that the Nazis have stolen, there is no excitement and nothing to keep audiences enthralled at the spectacle of this real life adventure.
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| "Is this the latest Bourne novel? I hope so!" |
The Monuments Men is a historic story that definitely deserves a theatrical treatment. Yet, something is amiss in this production. The scenes don't flow well together and the connectivity between characters feels forced and unnatural. But the biggest complaint is that The Monuments Men can't ever decide what it wants to be. It has severe multiple personality disorder. It can never decide whether its a comedy, a drama, or a straight up World War II movie.
George Clooney has proven himself time and time again. But this time at bat, he just doesn't reach his typical greatness. When I heard about the scheduling delay, my instincts set in and told me that trouble might be brewing with this release. I guess I was right. There was a definite reason why this got pushed to February. Its just not that good.
-Review by Chris George