Historical movie quite different to what the previews suggest

Rating: 6/10 (2 March 2014)

Based on the previews I expected The Monuments Men to be more comedic. It has an excellent cast whom are no strangers to comedy (John Goodman, Bill Murray, George Clooney, Matt Damon). Don't be under any illusions, though. This is a historic movie against the very real backdrop of World War 2.
The movie doesn't quite know what it wants to be. It starts off with promise and reminds one a little of "Ocean's Eleven" as the team of Monuments Men are assembled. There is some light banter that is entertaining. The movie quickly loses this comic momentum though as the serious business of saving art starts. It never evolves fully into a movie with a true "war" feel as the comedic always threatens to come to the surface although it never really does. At some point you do start to wish that the movie will just finish and run to its conclusion.
I suppose (upon re-reading my previous paragraph) that this "don't know quite what to expect" feeling of the movie very closely resounds with the real historic events surrounding the Monuments Men (or anyone going to war, for that matter.) It starts off with unknown anticipation but as the personal costs escalate one does become more grave until you set about fighting for what you believe in in a "business-as-usual" matter. For this reason I do believe it to be a quite good historic film.
The film is not hugely entertaining, although the seasoned cast does bring enough to the table to keep the user engaged. I found the historical sites and the exploration of a part of history I was unaware of quite interesting and therefore enjoyed the film. I don't expect this film to have mass appeal though...