“The Monuments Men” Podcast Movie Review

By Daniel Barnes on November 13, 2018 • ( 2 Comments )

The Monuments Men (2014; George Clooney) – Dare Daniel Podcast Episode 26

“This movie is proselytizing in the most shallow and empty way–it’s a movie of other movies.”

Hosts Daniel Barnes and Corky McDonnell wade into the moral cesspool known as Hollywood for their review of George Clooney’s pious, pretentious and vapid WWII art history lecture The Monuments Men.

Once again turning a powerful real-life story into a wacky genre picture a la Suburbicon, Clooney speeches and preaches nonstop throughout The Monuments Men (art = good; Nazis = bad), turning off even hardcore Clooney fanboy Corky.

Daniel and Corky navigate through the complete chaos of the story to discuss Michelangelo’s MacGuffin and Child, celebrate a very Balaban Christmas, and dream about sharing a bagel with old Sid Melman.

THE MONUMENTS MEN FACTS AND FIGURES

U.S. theatrical release date: February 7, 2014

Critic scores: 31 on Rotten Tomatoes; 52 on Metacritic

Box office performance: $78 million domestic gross (production budget: $70 million)

This week’s craft beer: Almanac Beer Co.’s Forbidden Lager (5.5% ABV)

This week’s Darer: Seth Katz

Why did Seth dare Daniel and Corky to watch The Monuments Men? “It’s rare for a cast this good to be wasted so badly. Clooney’s track record as a director was, if not highly esteemed, was at least solid until this turd.”

IMDB synopsis: “An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.”

This week’s referenced movies: Suburbicon; Aloha; Ocean’s 11; Weird Science; Return of the Jedi; the Bourne films; Shining Through; Fifty Shades of Grey; Little Shop of Horrors; Inglourious Basterds; the Indiana Jones films; Saving Private Ryan; The Train