The movie Monuments Men lacks a lot. I am sure that many people will disagree because it either has many of their favorite actors in it or because the premise of the story is really good. But honestly speaking the movie falls short of what should be an amazing movie. The movie starts off with George Clooney giving his pitch to President Roosevelt at the time, for the need to persevering as much art as possible. When asked why, by the President Clooney responds something along the line of, “Because what is the use of winning the war if there is no home, no culture to return to?” this line and the along with another monologue from Clooney talking about how art and culture is worth sacrificing your life for, is what the movie is about.

Sounds great. Then it falls short. It never really convinces the viewer that art is worth dying for. The two deaths in this movie, which are the devices used to try and convince the viewer, simply don’t work.

Because you are not really sad when both persons die, and that is because the movie moves too fast.  It never establishes a connection between the viewer and the characters that die.

Now on to the few gems that are good about this movie. Bill Murray does the best job in this movie and is one of the only characters (if not the only character) that you connect with. There are two scenes where he is the main character. And he really does an amazing job in them. But still because the movie moves to fast it almost ruins his final big scene where he is listening to a message from his family.

He is in the shower wishing he could hear his family, when over the loud speaker his buddy is plays a recording of his family that his family had mailed to Murray.

But even the two Murray scenes are not enough to redeem this movie, which is why I give it a two out of five.