The Monuments Men (2014)

Richard Wilson4 VeteranOP

2K messages
joined Sep 2009

#1 · Jan 7, 2014

Just saw the trailer. The whole vibe and the cast look solid. My one worry is if they’re gonna lean too hard into the action genre, but looking at how seasoned this cast is, I doubt it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreneTs7sGs

It follows this small US Army unit trying to rescue art from Nazis during the liberation of Europe. Not sure how much of it is based on actual history, but those kinds of operations definitely happened.

It’s got major Ocean's Eleven vibes, but that’s not a bad thing. Personally, I’m expecting a fun, high-quality flick.

driftingseal11 Member

12 messages
joined Mar 2014

#2 · Jan 8, 2014

I won't lie, this is easily one of my most anticipated movies of 2014 so far.

placidwolf32 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Jan 2010

#3 · Jan 8, 2014

The trailer feels pretty "lightweight" to me. Look, I’m not expecting Clooney to drop some heavy-duty documentary, but I really wouldn't want to see an Ocean's Eleven vibe applied to this kind of subject matter. Don't get me wrong, I love Ocean's, but I've got a real soft spot for The Monuments Men theme and I want it handled with some actual respect. 😁

nimblemason3 Newcomer

9 messages
joined Mar 2014

#4 · Feb 21, 2014

Just a weird, uninspired mix of bad jokes and sappy, over-the-top drama. Honestly, the soundtrack might be the worst part of the whole thing. After seeing how good the Ides of March was, this feels like a massive step backward for Clooney.

6

More thoughts here:
http://passpopcorn.com/2014/02/21/we...ents-men-2014/

neonfalcon99 Member

34 messages
joined Aug 2021

#5 · Feb 22, 2014

This movie is perfect if you're struggling with insomnia. A complete letdown.
The dialogue between them is just repetitive chatter we've heard a million times before. It's totally predictable..

The cast is solid, though Clooney isn't really my style. I'm more of a Matt Damon fan. I honestly think watching them play cards would have been much more engaging—it might have felt spontaneous instead of so scripted and easy to see coming.

I can't for the life of me think of any reason why Icon would recommend this.

Sean Bailey75 Member

29 messages
joined Jan 2014

#6 · Feb 22, 2014

Is this something you'd want to see on the big screen, or more of a casual watch for the small screen with a cold beer and some popcorn?

neonfalcon99 Member

34 messages
joined Aug 2021

#7 · Feb 22, 2014

I wouldn't bother with the TV. Just switch the channel instead.

But if you really want to, stay home. It's better to pass out on the couch rather than in a chair.😬

Sean Bailey75 Member

29 messages
joined Jan 2014

#8 · Feb 22, 2014

neonfalcon99 said:I wouldn't even bother switching over to that channel for TV purposes.

But if someone really wants to, hey, stay home! Better to fall asleep on the couch than to end up passed out in an armchair.😬

😁

Is it really all that "good"? 😁

Alright, thanks for the tip—I'll go see if it's available on Amazon... 😉

Karen Richardson3 Active Member

177 messages
joined Jul 2012

#9 · Feb 23, 2014

Richard Wilson4 said:Sure, it’s got that Ocean's Eleven vibe going on, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing; honestly, I’m actually looking forward to seeing if it turns out to be a fun, solid watch.

That was pretty much where my head was at too.

We ended up walking out of the theater after maybe thirty minutes. I can't say for sure if things pick up later on, but based on what we sat through, if it wasn't for that heavy-hitting cast, this wouldn't even have made it to theaters and nobody would have bothered showing up.

It’s just an incredible mess of a concept. If you want to talk about "achievements," I guess they managed to take material from World War II and turn it into something incredibly dull.

Aside from a few old-school one-liners from the veteran actors, absolutely nothing happens in those first half hours—the scenes don't even feel connected to one another. The soundtrack is weak, and the dialogue about culture is just painfully cringey.

Richard Wilson4 VeteranOP

2K messages
joined Sep 2009

#10 · Feb 23, 2014

Man, thirty minutes is nothing. How do you even function like that?

feralpilot0 Active Member

142 messages
joined Jul 2018

#11 · Feb 23, 2014

Karen Richardson3 said:That was exactly what I was expecting too.

We walked out of the theater after maybe thirty minutes—I can't tell if it improves later, but based on what we saw? If it weren't for the cast, this wouldn't even be in theaters, let alone attracting an audience.

As for me, I actually drifted off for ten minutes halfway through (and I’m not someone who falls asleep during movies—that's how bad it was).
It hit me then that the plot hadn't moved an inch from the start; Klunač just stupidly undermines Tarantino—you know, the "cool crew" vs. the Nazis and women seeking revenge... yawn;—and shuts down any actual tension.

Richard Wilson4 VeteranOP

2K messages
joined Sep 2009

#12 · Feb 23, 2014

A lot can happen in thirty minutes. I could spend that entire half hour watching local public access TV and it would probably be just as engaging. I’ve sat through countless movies where absolutely nothing happens for the first forty-five minutes. Honestly, those first three episodes of Wire are boring as hell. Come on, people.

Karen Richardson3 Active Member

177 messages
joined Jul 2012

#13 · Feb 24, 2014

Richard Wilson4 said:Man, thirty minutes is nothing, how can you even deal with that?

My specific life situation right now—having a little kid, trying to coordinate babysitters, not being able to just run to the theater whenever I feel like it and all that 😁—means that when I do get to the movies, I'm down for something fun or even total trash, but I just can't stomach anything boring or overly pathetic.

At first, I was thinking, "Oh cool, an old-school style flick, this should be fun," but after just a few minutes, it became painfully obvious that this was just some "eight Americans saving European culture while whining about how precious it is" crap.

After we talked it over, we all basically just stood up and walked out of the theater, which honestly, I don't even know when that actually happened. I didn't even finish my popcorn! 😁

Now, it's possible for a movie to grow on you and become great later, but I took a quick peek at the reviews, and it doesn't look like that's happening here. 😳

(Btw, thanks for the heads-up on HBO; I watched the first episode and it's pretty confusing, but I figured if all the good people are raving about it, there must be something there... I'll give it another shot once I finish Shameless, which I highly recommend by the way...)

Richard Wilson4 VeteranOP

2K messages
joined Sep 2009

#14 · Feb 26, 2014

Karen Richardson3 said:(btw, awesome tip on HBO. I just started the first episode and it’s a bit of a head trip, but I knew it had to be good since all the smart people swear by it. I'll get back to her once I finish Shameless, which is a total must-watch if you haven't seen it yet..)

offtopic
Just give HBO time, trust me. It’s worth it. Season three of that show is honestly better than pretty much anything else on TV right now. 🙂

Lisa Chase3 Member

37 messages
joined Jul 2014

#15 · Feb 28, 2014

As a teaser or trailer, it honestly sounded pretty promising.

I just picked it out from whatever else was playing at the local AMC, but now I’m thinking I probably should’ve just skipped it. It’s based on a true story—yeah, sure—but it’s nowhere near a great movie, despite how hard they tried with the acting and everything.

driftingseal11 Member

12 messages
joined Mar 2014

#16 · Mar 2, 2014

Caught this at the theater yesterday... and man, what can I say? It’s definitely not the garbage people are making it out to be, but it’s not exactly a masterpiece either. There’s always something there—something visually cool, interesting, or funny—but it all feels kind of hollow. I get the feeling they left a massive amount of potential on the table because the characters just aren't fleshed out enough. I want to draw a parallel to Mann's film Heat from 1995. See, the first half of this movie is just straight-up slow and tedious. You're constantly waiting for the moment things actually start happening, and by the time it arrives, half the audience has already checked out. We see a similar setup in Heat, where the first half is a slow, dramatic introduction to the characters before the second half turns into a pure action thriller. But here’s the kicker: what makes Heat such a superior film is that you're never bored during that buildup. Plus, it forces you to actually get to know and care about the characters, whereas with Monuments, that connection never really happens. It's also worth noting that in the second half, everyone is finally together, scouring > for art, unlike the first half where everyone is scattered in tiny groups and the pacing jumps all over the place. That's how the trailer sold me on it, and that's exactly what I wanted, but even when it finally delivered, it wasn't quite at the level I was hoping for.

I should also mention that the movie can't seem to decide on its own tone. It swings between being a drama and a comedy, though I'll give it a pass on that since it did manage to deliver some great scenes for both genres. All in all, I don't regret seeing it, even if it could have been executed much better.

Disappointing 6/10.

Patrick Martin Regular

702 messages
joined Aug 2015

#17 · Mar 3, 2014

this flick is right up there with those classic WWII epics from the golden age of Hollywood cinema☕

easy skip ☕

Keith Jones36 Member

23 messages
joined May 2013

#18 · Mar 3, 2014

"Heritage unit"

....is officially going on my list of movies I will never watch simply because the title itself is so unappealing.

Sean Johnson40 Member

28 messages
joined Jun 2014

#19 · May 5, 2014

DrugsBunny;48887953 said:A total mess. It’s just this weird mix of forced, unfunny jokes and cringey, pathetic drama. Honestly, the soundtrack might be the worst part of the whole thing. After how good Ides of March was, this feels like a massive step backward for Clooney.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Compared to Ides of March, this movie is absolute garbage. Clooney shouldn't even touch stuff like this again. It’s just boring. No tension at all. And that guy Bardem—or whatever his name is—is incredibly irritating. The plot just gets lost in these desperate acting attempts meant to make us care... it’s pathetic, weak, and just plain dull.

That day, I sat through Monuments, Walk of Shame, and Pompeii. I actually finished the first one, but I tapped out of the other two after about 15 minutes each just to save my sanity.

By the end, I was just done. Enough trash for one day.

Jonathan Perez88 Active Member

96 messages
joined May 2003

#20 · May 5, 2014

Just watched it—what a massive letdown 😢 The scenes felt completely unconnected, which totally killed the pacing. You never actually get to know the characters or build any kind of emotional bond with them, so when those supposedly "touching" moments happen, I just felt 🥳. Honestly, it was pretty mediocre.

The Monuments Men (2014)

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