(From syracusenewtimes.com)
There’s no mistaking the heroes from the villains in “The Monuments Men.”
Or is there?
George Clooney as director and writer has crafted an emotional drama about the mission undertaken by a woefully small band of Allied men to save the world’s art treasures stolen by the Nazi march across Europe.
And as one of the stars on the screen, he’s helped bring home the message of just how hard it was to convince some military leaders even on the Allied side that this was a task that must succeed.
Matt Damon, John Goodman and Bill Murray have plenty of help to keep it intriguing, exciting and rewarding to the end.
As my dear wife Karen and I headed to the theater Sunday morning, we still could not agree on what movie to see. I wouldn’t budge from “The Monuments Men,” and she very much preferred the animation of “The Lego Movie.”
We went to different screens.
(From Movie Poster)
As an added bonus this week, here’s what Karen took away from “The Lego Movie.”
She thought the early part of the movie reminded her of the TV show “Chuck,” in a good way.
It’s an average person that is suddenly perceived to have special powers, she says. And, when Emmet, the hero, meets his match in Wyldstyle, that was like Chuck matching up with Sarah Walker.
Together, they save the Legos from President Business, who wants to use Kragle to lock things down on Taco Tuesday.
Their adventures take them through several worlds with interesting characters, including Batman.
Karen liked the fact that the adults in the theater all laughed at some scenes, and the kids all laughed at completely different scenes.
The message that order is a good base but originality and creativity must be allowed to grow from it made Karen leave happy.
If you’d like to read my review of “The Monuments Men” on the Syracuse New Times site, click the link below.
http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/film-review-a-monument-to-clooneys-passion/
Mark Bialczak 
I want to “Monuments Men.” The premise – art theft – makes me wonder how much we’ve lost as a result of war. Not just WWII, but all conflicts. Karen’s trip to the Lego movie makes that sound like a worthwhile flick, too.
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The Monuments Men was a good thought-provoker, Judy. The Lego Movie, too, for that matter, as Karen described it.
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I am sure that the Monuments Men movie will be good but a little dry. I would ‘root’ for saving Art everyday, all the time! The Lego movie looks good because it has such a wide variety of characters and it will be funny. I appreciated your review on the serious movie, enjoyed your wife, Karen’s synopsis, too. I always love to go to movies and listen to friends’ thoughts on the movies!
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I know Karen enjoyed watching the movie. Pitching in for the review, well, maybe. Thanks, Robin.
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I’ve considered seeing The Monument Men, but the Lego movie didn’t even catch my eye. I’m hopping over to check out your review. And I like what you and KSBeth said about the art.
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‘The Monuments Men’ gave me a needed reminder about who horrible it was as WWII was coming to a close, Colleen.
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The more I read about WWII (via mostly blogs of persons dedicated to getting information out there) the more shocked I am. And I already knew enough to be shocked. 😦
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enjoyed the full review as always, mark. what a powerful cast, and i think this film asks the question of what is the value of art in people’s lives, and what does it mean to different people with different agendas? well done –
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Thanks, Beth. One of my Facebook friends went on a rant about how it was ridiculous for anybody to consider art more important than life. I didn’t come away with the feeling anybody thought it was more important, but I sure am glad they thought it was ALSO important.
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yes, i completely agree. it is an important part of life. not more important, but important none the less.
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i love that the two of you adopted a ‘divide and conquer approach’ to seeing both movies. i like karen’s insights too, and think maybe you guys should start a ‘he said, she said’ movie review feature? kind of a domestic siskel/ebert? i’ll hop over now to read your full review of monuments ) b
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You are very kind with the suggestion, Beth, and I really do prefer it when we go to the same movie at the same time in the same row in adjacent seats and for a special treat sharing a small tub of popcorn. We have a go-to saying since my days of reviewing concerts when I’d get an extra ticket. For Mark, it’s work. For Karen, it’s a date!
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of course, it’s always better when sharing the experience and the popcorn, and no reason to see different films each time, just offer two different perspectives of the same film perhaps?
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Huge Clooney, Damon duo fan. I haven’t seen it except for the trailers, but I love the story idea. I will be seeing it soon!
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It hits home generations after WWII, Trey. Enjoy.
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Thanks to you and Karen, I have now put both movies on my To Do list. Please pass my appreciation on to her.
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I will alert Karen that her work was appreciated, Ann. Now get ready for your journey!
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Thanks for the insight! Hope I can’t wait to see both movies, and it’s easy to admit that the excitement is equal for both. I was (still am) a big Lego fanatic as a kid, but history fascinates me on a daily basis.
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I will catch “The Lego Movie” on cable or Netflix, what with the steadfast endorsement of my dear wife Karen. Thanks, Chris. Have a good Monday.
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