Filmmakers make the most out of paper-thin plot

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Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Laura Macgruder/Westgate Film Services George Clooney plays a military specialist who thinks he's a Jedi in "The Men Who Stare at Goats." E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Your enjoyment of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" will depend on two things — your enjoyment of shallow yet funny films with little depth as well as your appreciation of "Star Wars."

With an opening tagline of "More of this is true than you would think," it's a pretty clear indication this is a fairly tongue-in-cheek film.

Ewan McGregor ("Amelia") plays Bob Wilton, a small-time journalist hoping to add some sense of purpose to his life after his wife leaves him for his editor. Bob's quest takes him to Iraq, where he might have found an even bigger story than covering the war. He meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who says he was part of a special U.S. Army unit that used psychic powers to accomplish their missions, like locating missing diplomats or, in the most extreme case, killing a goat by staring at it.

Director Grant Heslov ("Tony"), Clooney's frequent writing and producing partner, has a breezy style that's well-suited to the lighthearted nature of the script, which opts more for laughs than a compelling story.

Bob narrates the events, alternating between his encounter with Lyn and the formation of the psychic unit, the First Earth Battalion, under the leadership of Bill Django (Jeff Bridges, "Iron Man") after the Vietnam War. Bill set out to find a more peaceful method of combat, traveling with hippies before returning to his superiors as a new man with new techniques to win wars.

The psychic soldiers called themselves Jedi, which becomes one of the film's running jokes, as McGregor starred as the legendary Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" prequel films. So Lyn's explanation to Bob about the Force and the role of the Jedi is frequently played up for major laughs for those in touch with that aspect of pop culture.

Lyn tells Bob he's in Iraq for a special mission and Bob tags along, hoping for a story that will send him to the big time. Their adventure takes them through deserts, shootouts between two U.S. security teams and an encounter with Lyn's old Jedi rival Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey, "Shrink").

Despite its brief, 95-minute length, the film still feels about 20 minutes longer than it needed to be, largely because the plot doesn't really have that much substance. It boils down to this: Lyn and Bill are likely crazy for believing that they have psychic abilities, and Bob tries to figure out if he's buying into it himself.

Clooney and McGregor make for a tremendous comedic duo and carry this one-note film. Clooney is particularly funny, as his character is a very intense person who is fully committed to the Jedi ideals, even when he probably should just be committed.

While "Goats" is amusing, it's a better option to sit back on the couch and watch at home on DVD or cable than paying to see it in theaters.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Comedy.

Rated: R.

Length: 95 minutes.

Director: Grant Heslov.

Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root, Rebecca Mader