While the film was pushed from December 2013 to February 2014, “The Monuments Men” is one of next year’s most anticipated movies. The film seems like a hybrid of “Ocean’s 11” and a World War II film featuring Nazis and priceless pieces of art with the auteur stamping of director and star George Clooney. A new newsreel-type trailer highlights the film’s drama and star-power.

“The movie is based on the novel by Robert Edsel, and it follows art historians who landed at Normandy to rescue several pieces of art and landmarks from destruction. It really does look like an incredible movie.

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. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys – seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 – possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.”

The trailer is wonderful! While George Clooney is either hit or miss as a director, “The Monuments Men” features an all-star cast that should keep general audiences invested in the film’s story. While “The Monuments Men” is a long shot for Oscar consideration in 2014, considering its early release date, the World War II film should be a perfectly fine piece of entertainment.

The art heist movie stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchet as Rose Valland. George Clooney and his writing/producing partner Grant Heslov wrote the film’s screenplay, while Clooney also directed.

“The Monuments Men” will hit theaters on February 7, 2014.