“Monuments Men” has all the makings of a great, “The gang is back together movie,” and once the movie starts it wastes no time assembling the crew.

With George Clooney seeking out his old military pals, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Babalan and Matt Damon, he gets the go ahead from FDR to save all the priceless works of art throughout Europe, the only problem is fielding the line.

The crew doesn’t know whether they should be respected as soldiers and fight as soldiers or to just be art collectors with guns.

Due to the fact that they’re considerably older than all the active duty soldiers, the crew has trouble with their role in the military unit.

The “fielding the line” problem can be said just the same for the movie itself, some of the previews depict it as a dramatic action movie seeking out priceless works of art. Others depict it as a buddy comedy with Bill Murray in a war zone, and zany antics ensuing.

The final product is a messy mash-up between the two, with the Matt Damon plotline running in asynchronously to the main plot, and the forced never-to-be romantic undertone the movie never quite fits.

While the gang is altogether, the gang falls apart which leads to comedic actors portraying some tragic scenes, which leads to the greatest tragedy of all.

The art-saving plotline takes a back story that never comes to the front and center, sure they are saving art and artifacts but it is so rushed the audience sees it as a, “Well duh,” type of moment.

Pacing, writing, and satisfaction are all casualties of war within this comedy-drama-war-movie hybrid, and between a climax that lasts for under two minutes the two hour build up just does not pay off.

Overall the movie is forgettable but not terrible, it has workable moments and it has snoozers. The movie seems more like a bunch of skits put together than one homogenous script.

The casting will draw an audience, but without the names this movie is made for TV or straight DVD to watch on Netflix when it inevitably makes its way there because the internet’s unwarranted love affair with Bill Murray will get it there in about a year’s time.