Simply disappointing

Rating: 4/10 (6 June 2014)

Although the foundation for it is a fascinating story of a group of men that aimed to rescue famous artwork from the Nazis during the Second World War, The Monuments Men fails to place its remarkable narrative in the forefront, and is rather dominated by poor writing, poor direction and overall lack of momentum. The film seems to be approached entirely in the wrong way, as its tone is often far too casual and humorous, despite it recounting a war story of great significance and interest. The audience is constantly exposed to awkward shifts between comedic and emotionally intense scenes, and due to the unflattering execution, the film is ultimately not particularly amusing nor dramatic. Perhaps its greatest appeal is an impressively star-studded cast, but as it often happens in such cases no one is able to truly shine, which results in a film that offers no outstanding performances. Overall, The Monuments Men is a film with incredibly noble intentions that lacks quality in execution, and despite its intriguing story undoubtedly deserving better, the outcome is ultimately very disappointing.