The Men Who Stare at Goats

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
Directed by Grant Heslov
Length:94 minutes
Rated R for language, some drug content, and brief nudity




Clooney, Spacey, Bridges, McGregor...some of the biggest A-listers in Hollywood who happen to be Oscar-caliber actors to boot all in one film? Sign me up! But wait...don't let the awesome star power fool you; The Men Who Stare at Goats far from lives up to the talent found in the film. Boasting two of last year's Oscar nominees (not to mention 2009 Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges), you would expect a great film no matter how lacking the material may be. Unfortunately, this serves as a prime example of how to waste great talent.

Set in the early 2000s during the start of the second Iraq war, Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons, The Ghost Writer) plays Bob Wilton, an American journalist who heads to cover the "action" in attempt to prove his journalistic prowess. What Bob soon uncovers is a secret government project involving the training of a new group of soldiers, called Jedi (this is where you should start rolling your eyes), who attempt to master psionic powers and New Age practices to bring peace to the world. This secret covert operation is revealed by Lyn Cassady, an eccentric level-3 Jedi played by the dashing George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox, The American). Armed with the knowledge that Bob himself has the potential to become a Jedi, the pair set off to find Lyn's former troop leader Bill Django, a New Age hippie who values peace, love, dance, and flower power over combat, portrayed by 2009's Best Actor Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart, Tron Legacy).

Whew...that's a lot to absorb. And I'll admit, even after watching the film, it doesn't make sense. In fact, the whole movie doesn't really have a point; it is over the top to the point of extreme ridiculousness. Are there laughs to be had? Sure! I found myself laughing out loud at several scenes, particularly earlier in the movie when we see the Jedi "training". Without a doubt, the strongest scenes of the film are those involving Jeff Bridges; his portrayal as a military man turned hippie is indeed humorous. But these individual performances are not enough to overcome the lack of coherent plot and lunacy that is The Men Who Stare at Goats.

Certainly one could interpret the film as an overall comparison of the Iraq War to the Vietnam War. But if the film is attempting to use a farce to critically analyze this modern war, it leaves the audience scratching its head more than with a new outlook. While you will enjoy some laughs, this is one film you will not regret missing if you decide to pass.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:
Larry Hooper: "Lieutenant Colonel Django used funds from the project's black budget to procure prostitutes..."
Bill Django: "That's a lie!"
Larry Hooper: "...and to get drugs for himself and his men."
Bill Django: "That...well, the hooker thing is definitely a lie."