The Monuments Men **½

George Clooney wrote, directed and stars in this Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, John Goodman. Rated PG-13 for some images of war violence and historical smoking. Running time is one hour and fifty-eight minutes.

An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners.

This film is clearly aimed at an older crowd: those interested in WWII stories and fans of Clooney and Damon. Production values are good and the film exhibits a visual authenticity. The plot, however, is clunky and doesn't have a smooth flow. The pace is also slower than desirable which makes the two hour running time seem excessive. This was supposed to have been released as a Christmas picture but it was decided the film would not stand up well in that crowded release pattern. A good decision in my opinion as this would have come and gone in a couple of weeks during that time frame. As it is, I'm not sure this will be around much longer that that.

There are  no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will be preferable for maximum action impact. Theatres/Times.