A disclaimer at the beginning of the opening credits of this film says it all: "More of this is true than you'd believe." It is true that the American government set up a secret military unit to explore paranormal and psychic warfare techniques. It is also true that the soldiers in this group tried to kill goats just by staring at them. And it is precisely because of these unbelievable truths that "The Men Who Stare at Goats" succeeds as a comedic war film.
The film introduces the audience to Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), a journalist who is content with his small-town life. When his wife leaves him for his one-armed boss, Bob feels a need to jump start his life. He travels to Kuwait during the Gulf War looking for a story. What he finds is the mysterious Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a man who is part of a strange psychic military unit. After some hassling and begging, Wilton convinces Cassady to let him tag along on a psychic mission and the two men try to stay alive and keep their sanity.
A parallel storyline, narrated by McGregor, reveals the development of this New-Age military unit. During the Vietnam War, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) leaves the army for the hippie movement. While partaking in some serious drug use, Django starts to believe that he can train peaceful soldiers by teaching them psychic abilities. For some reason the government lets him pursue this endeavour, and what results is arguably the craziest true military story ever.
First-time director Grant Heslov does not employ any flashy techniques or stylish shots in the narrative. He lets the actors' performances and the hilariously outrageous story control the film's flow, and for the first hour or so this works well. When the plot enters the final act and the two storylines connect, the film gets too silly for its own good and sputters across the finish line.
Some unnecessary social commentary about American-Muslim stereotypes also weakens the film. The comments aren't numerous enough to become preachy, but they add no new spin and do nothing to advance the story.
These problems aside, strong acting drives the film. Clooney's portrayal of Cassady is the best part of the movie and makes it worth the price of admission. He may not be the main character, but his deadpan demeanor and bizarre interactions amp up the comedic value. Bridges utilizes the same laid-back hippie persona from his character in "The Big Lebowski" (1998) to create another impressive performance.
McGregor does not add much to the film besides solid narration; his character remains bland throughout the entire story. With Clooney on board, McGregor does not have to carry the film, but it's still disappointing to see him without the fire that fueled his strong roles in hits like "Big Fish" (2003) and "Trainspotting" (1996).
There is another actor in this film that audiences will recognize — although he's unfortunately miscast here. Kevin Spacey has a minor role as Larry Hooper, a psychic soldier who becomes jealous of Cassady's success. His acting is up to par, but the role is pretty pointless and wastes Spacey's great talent.
What makes the movie worthwhile on top of some solid, big-name acting is the story itself. This tale is fascinating, wacky and so preposterous that it inspires as many questions as it does laughs. What is really going on behind closed doors in the army? If this story is true, what other crazy programs exist? A welcome departure from the dramatic war epic, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" manages to surprise, entertain and — at the very least — make viewers stop and stare.
