CAST: George Clooney as Lyn Cassidy
Jeff Bridges as Bill Django
Ewan McGregor as Bob Wilton
Kevin Spacey as Larry Hooper

PLOT: A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.


A movie that drives up an exciting mountain road, only to find it's breaks aren't working at a tight turn, causing it to tumble down the side of said mountain. That's the impression one gets from The Men Who Stare at Goats, a star studded affair rife with humor and a interesting story about one of the nation's military's hidden secrets, yet a movie whose story never comes full circle and ends up feeling entirely disjointed.

How did it get there? Well, Bob Wilton (McGregor), a reporter who once did an interview about 'The New Earth Army', a secret unit of the military that attempted to employ paranormal powers in its missions, ends up getting divorced from his wife, who leaves for his boss. Deciding to go on a mission to prove to his wife that he is a worthy man, he takes a job as an embedded reporter in Iraq.

In Kuwait City, he coincidentally bumps into Lyn Cassidy (Clooney), the man who was referenced as the greatest psychic in the New Earth Army. From here, for reasons never made clear, (the part about the story not coming full circle), they go on a 'mission' into Iraq. During this time, Lyn explains to Wilton, in the form of flashbacks, about the New Earth Army, it's founding by Bill Django (Bridges), and eventual collapse do to the actions of bad guy Larry Hooper (Spacey).

The flashbacks mostly relate a story of an army unit apparently allowed to convert into hippies. Where dancing was the opening act of the day, and various paranormal activities were practiced and tried, including remote viewing, telepathy, running through walls (literally), and trying to kill a goat by telepathically stopping its heart.

Suffice it to say, several things happen in the Iraq part of this movie that reference the war, including, IEDs, the Blackwater security scandal, prisoner torture, and Al-Queda kidnappings. (Shouldn't it be man-nappings when applied to those over the age of 18?) Despite what I may be painting as a clear left-wing, anti-war film, this film never really develops that way. In the end I was left with no clear message to take from this movie, other than the army tried some crazy shit in the eighties that didn't really accomplish anything important. Unfortunately, this movie didn't accomplish anything important for me, either.

The acting is top notch of course. George Clooney is intense and entirely devoted to his character, Jeff Bridges reprises the roll of a hippie military officer quite successfully. Suffice it to say, Kevin Spacey plays the villian well (again), and McGregor works fine as the reporter who covers the story.

The humor is often successful in this movie, however doesn't save the fangled plot. This movie is a comedy first and foremost, that is without question. I should mention, in a bit of irony, that the members of the New Earth Army are often called 'Jedi Warriors'. The irony is that McGregor played a Jedi in the new Star Wars trilogy. The Star Wars references do get worn out by the end of the movie though.

All in all, 6.5 out of 10. It's an enjoyable film to watch, but don't expect too much.