Important To Attention To The Monuments Men

Rating: 7/10 (9 February 2014)

Too bad the movie has had such poor reviews. The story of the Monuments Men itself is interesting. I'm looking forward to a related book, The Noble Sculptor (web site by the same name), that's coming out that. It has a dovetailed WWII story of that time. That one is partly a story of one of the Monuments Men in Italy. But its really about that Monuments Man's father, a hero during WWII at the time. He put himself at risk and was credited with saving over 600 Allied troops trying to escape the Germans in Italy. That sounds like a great movie to me and I can't help but thinking about missing elements in seeing The Monuments Men.
Really if, as I do, you love decent movies generally, The Monuments Men is fine. Its basic importance is that it has brought attention to previously little known (unless one read the book) men and women who did something that no one else did – and that needed to be done. It was part of saving culture and history. That makes it an important movie if for no other reason. If one goes to judge all movies by award standards, then the vast majority will fail.
Although I know other stories as movies can and do end up being as good or better (i.e.: The Noble Sculptor), The Monuments Men is not as bad as some reviews have you think. It comes down to expectations and, in some cases, biases.
Some will simply see the movie because they like John Goodman or George or one of the other actors. It's like seeing a John Wayne movie. If you like John Wayne, it doesn't matter what he's in. Many people will enjoy the movie just watching the cast do what it does. Relax and don't over-analyze it.