MOVIE REVIEW: MONUMENTS MEN

“MONUMENTS MEN” PRESS REVIEW

It’s hard to rate “MONUMENTS MEN” as there are two schools of thought.

Either you like this one, or you don’t.

With a stupendous cast ensemble boasting of  the almighty GEORGE CLOONEY with his troupe MATT DAMON, CATE BLANCHETT, BILLY MURRAY, JOHN GOODMAN and JEAN DUJARDIN, you would definitely expect more … a wonderful film with a “to-die-for” script.

During World War II we are shown in no uncertain terms, that the German army has unceremoniously stolen some of the world’s art treasures with the devious intention of exhibiting them in the Adolf Hitler’s  Fuhrer Museum project.

With Hitler’s death the Third Reich collapsed, thereupon the German army receives orders to destroy all the priceless paintings.

Hence art historian Lt. Frank Stokes (George Clooney) rallies a team of art experts who all share the same vision.

They are medieval art curator James Granger (Matt Damon), architect Richard Campbell (Bill Murray), sculptor Walter Garfield (John Goodman), French designer Jean-Claude Clermont (Jean Dujardin) and theater director Preston Savitz (Bob Balaban) who are responsible for to recover the relics back from the German.

There are good moments in the movie, yes.

But other than that, the movie plods at a snail’s pace and if you watch the mighty camera work zooming in and out to match actors’  facial expressions with dialogue, you’d soon detect a total lack of character’s development.

And as a result, there’s an uneven continuity flow.

In a capsule “MONUMENTS MEN” is touted as a retro action comedy based-on-a-true story claim about the epic treasure hunt in history by soldiers who are intent on rescuing stolen arts in the waning days of World War II.

Your heart won’t be beating faster, nor will all these be a feast for the eyes and ears.

For the younger generation this one’s just going to be a gathering of middle-aged uncles.

This is intellectual entertainment for fans of GEORGE CLOONEY and MATT DAMON.

Joining the troupe?

RATING: 2 out of 5

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