‘Men Who Stare’ worth a look (3.5/5)

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Goat
Directed by: Grant Heslov
Rating: R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.
Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes.

I’m a little behind on this one, but I swear, I’ve wanted to see “The Men Who Stare at Goats” since its November release.

I didn’t really know what to expect — something offbeat and quirky, certainly (I mean, just look at that title).

But perhaps the most shocking part for me is that it’s based in fact.

Obviously, I can’t vouch for the accuracy. But just the simple idea that any of this film is based in reality walks a fine line between hilarious and just plain scary.

Ewan McGregor stars as reporter Bob Wilton who is searching for the story that will make his career, and therefore his life, worthwhile.

But when Bob comes across Lyn Cassady (a prime George Clooney), he trips into something unexpected and unbelievable.

Lyn is part of a covert U.S. Army Special Forces operation (the “New Earth Army”) that trains psychic spies in an effort to fight wars with alternative combat tactics — or with the least amount of violence possible.

Among the force’s talents are “cloud bursting,” “remote viewing,” invisibility and the old stand-by, walking through walls (which is hilariously depicted at the very beginning and ending of the film).

Lyn also demonstrates the hilarious “star gazing” to Bob, a move that would make me severely uncomfortable to be riding in any kind of vehicle with Lyn behind the wheel.

During Lyn’s training, the New Earth Army is headed by Vietnam veteran Bill Django (a wonderful Jeff Bridges), a stereotypical “peace, love and long braids” hippie. Django hopes to be the “first superpower to create superpowers.”

Lyn’s aptitude causes a rivalry with fellow recruit Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), who attacks Lyn with a “death touch” (the scare behind the death touch is that it can take you out at any time — even 18 years later!)

Despite Larry Hooper, the New Earth Army is mostly a force of good, even calling themselves the Jedi (highly appropriate since Ewan McGregor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the most recent three “Star Wars” films).

So when Lyn is taken to the Goat Lab, he finds himself at a fork.

The goats are the Army’s test subjects — atomic bombs, field dressings, wounds, etc. So when the Army wants to see what the New Earth Army can bring to the table, Lyn, being the top of the class, is taken to the lab.

His mission? To cause the goat’s heart to stop simply by staring at it.

“What had that goat ever done to me? It’s completely against the way of the Jedi,” Lyn says. “But some dark part of me wanted to see if I could do it.”

“The Men Who Stare At Goats” is one of those films that gives you faith in humanity. It sees the weirdness going on in the world and is a lens for laughter. A film like “Goats” could quickly turn conspiratorial or melodramatic, but instead leads you down the path of self-discovery, hope and enlightenment.

“Goats” encourages fresh possibilities and thinking outside the box. It examines the scope of human potential and the reach of the mind. As Lyn says to Bob Wilton, “Find out what your destiny is, and the river will carry you.”

Rather than being a criticism of the Army and of war, “Goats” is surprisingly upbeat and inspirational. It follows the stories of lost, confused men as they try to make a difference in their worlds and shows that unconventional methods can lead to lofty results.

“Goats” isn’t the best movie you’ll see, but it’ll make you laugh and may just leave you feeling a little light-hearted (and who couldn’t use that these days?).

If you rent the DVD, be sure to check out the special featurette “Psychic Spies” to get the “true” account of the New Earth Army.

3.5 of 5 stars