Nancy Robertson I'm really shocked at all the negative reviews of this movie. I absolutely LOVE it!! Of course, with this cast we expected greatness and I was NOT disappointed! Everyone in it is brilliant and completely believable. This film is touching, gripping, heart wrenching, and purely wonderful. Yes, there are bits of comic relief- nice little one liners and a little running joke - as well as enough action and surprises, just as every good movie should have. My son (19 when it came out) saw it 3 times in the first 2 weeks! I've seen it 5 times so far. My daughter, 15, who doesn't know much about the time period, loved and completely understood it, gaining a new appreciation for historically accurate movies. I will watch this again and again, any time.

thekarmicnomad I was dragged kicking and scream to watch this by my girlfriend. I used to like WW2 films, "Cross of Iron" and "A bridge too Far" were firm favourites growing up.But modern WW2 movies seem dedicated on making really bad versions of "The Magnificent Seven". From "Saving Private Ryan" to "Fury" to "Red Tails" it all boils down to our band of heroes having to defend some ridiculous objective against a horde of incompetent, suicidal Nazis.Monument Men is not like that. It tells the story of Allied special agents sent to recover, protect and return works of art.The characters are likable and interesting, and very human. There have been at least a few flourishes of artistic licence (for instance who would go to the effort to design a land mine that explodes when you step off it?)I don't know the true story but this seems believable enough to me and I was gripped right up to the very end.It goes without saying the affects and production are very high quality. Against my initial feeling I would highly recommend this.

SanFranciscoCinephile You can see The Monuments Men was well shot. I liked what Clooney was doing, putting an Ocean's Eleven flavor in a World War II setting, and the Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael does quality work on films with large exterior landscapes like Nebraska (2013), The Descendants (2011) and 3:10 to Yuma (2007). Furthermore, you couldn't ask for a better cast. There was a lot of expectation for this movie to pick up Oscar and Golden Globe nods which is why it was originally scheduled for a December release (but later moved to February). In spite of its assets, however, in the end it leaves you somewhat disappointed.Three main issues that made me think this could have been a gem, if only. First is that it couldn't decide if it was a comedy or a serious historical movie. Usually a drama has some humor, and a historical comedy has drama. This one felt like a tug of war between the two, and in the end there was no clear winner.Second was the editing. They could have shed 3 or 4 scenes without sacrificing the story, and trimmed a few others to keep the movie from lagging. But then in the DVD Bonus Features you see them shoot a victory scene with large crowds; why was that cut from the theatrical version?And third, as phenomenal as Alexandre Desplat's score was, some scenes felt like they were missing music, again giving us a tug of war between a lush Hollywood production and French minimalism. Maybe it was re-edited at the last moment and some scenes were left bare.So there you have it, one of the most interesting stories of World War II that could have been an awards favorite. I put it somewhere in the Top 15 non-violent, non-atrocity WWII films. They are (not necessarily in order):1. The Bridge on the River Kwai 2. The Imitation Game 3. Casablanca 4. Sophie Scholl 5. The Sound of Music 6. Judgment at Nuremberg 7. Ike 8. The Reader 9. A League of Their Own 10. Valkyrie 11. The Book Thief 12. Five Graves to Cairo 13. South Pacific 14. The Monuments Men 15. 1941

steve-3985 This movie seems to have everything to make ad least a decent action / entertaining movie: Decent budget , Excellent cast & what it seems a good subject for a blockbuster ( nazi art robbery during the WWII & especially during the nazi "debacle" ).But It isn't . The guilt to a messy unattractive script. No thrill, no commitment no pace at all . This movie seems to be a totally FLAT EKG !And you don't have to wait for long to be bored ! After only the first 20mn it started to smell bad with pointless scene who seems to fall on the screen haphazardly . Even the experienced actors start to loose it & their play is often out of the tracks !Special BAD comment for my national fellow in the movie ( Georges wasn't a so nice friend to put him in such a miserable movie ! ) : Mister Jean Dujardin ! Who usually play great ( as good in drama or comedy ) , act really poorly here ! :( Have a look on the "presentation" scene :( Perhaps challenging Marion Cotillard for the worst french acting scene in a US Movie ?? But unlike Marion ,he only seems to wake up to really act when he's wounded & the death scene is not as bad but there again the poor scene cut's waste it ! Fortunately, he "dies" from his "wounds" ending his misery in this pathetic "movie".One positive point : the only one who seems to me, not to sank deep is .....The Aussie girl aka the sweet cute Cate Blanchet ! Ad least she was smart enough to avoid the trap to try to talk french ! She craftily speak English with a french accent, nice & it works +++.But her too saw her play smash into the messy blury scenario who makes her look like a icy unpolite useless bi...characters and her impact on the "action" or if you prefer the "story" is : absolutely NONE.Who did the writing & the post production ??? Obsiously George cloney is not Clint Eastwood ! Perhaps it should pay him a call ...& a few lessons !. to be brief : movie utterly disappointing . Don't waste your time like i did.