10 Movies Too Big To Fail (That Did It Anyway)

6. The Monuments Men

Why It Was "Too Big"

The cast of The Monuments Men should have guaranteed that it would be a big deal. George Clooney had basically assembled a collection of talent that Wes Anderson would be jealous of (including some of Anderson's favourite muses, in fact).

The subject matter also inspired early talk of Oscars attention too, what with the blend of historical importance and humanist drama. There was even a hint that it would be bravely trying to get some comedy in there too, which was as intriguing as it was reason to be confident. Surely nobody would joke about the Nazis unless their film was REALLY good. Right?

Why It Failed Anyway

The writing was on the wall when the film's release was moved back from December to February when the edit revealed the issues of balancing the serious material with a comedy tone. It also flew fast and loose with the truth of the group's history, which is never good when you're marketing something as a "true story."

Unfortunately, the Oscar talk dried up immediately when the critical reactions came out, and while it made some money, The Monument's Men was certainly not a success on the terms it aimed for.

The Damage

Not a great deal, though Clooney's standing as a director has taken a bit of a hit on the back of this and Suburbicon in a row. The cast have mostly remained unscathed and the studio did make a little money out of it. So the embarrassment over the Oscar talk is probably a lot easier to take.