Film reviews
image courtesy IMDB.com
Men Who Stare At Goats
B+
JEFF BRIDGES SHOULD be in more films. He doesn’t even need to do anything; he can just sit there and stare blankly into space and it would be great, as evidenced in Men Who Stare At Goats. The comedy stars George Clooney, Ewan MacGregor, Kevin Spacey, and the aforementioned comic genius Bridges. Clooney, Spacey, and Bridges play Jedi Warriors, trained U.S. military special ops forces who use a sort of new-wave mind control to wage a war of peace and love against America’s enemies. MacGregor plays the hapless journalist who happens across Clooney by fate and records their journey for the world to read.
Unfortunately for this film, the only thing that holds it together is the great ensemble cast. While marketed as a comedy, there isn’t a lot of laugh-out-loud moments—except for the select few used to compile the trailer. Primarily, the comedy arises from the ludicrousness of the situation—psychic soldiers fighting mind wars—but, after 20 minutes, it loses its novelty. Regardless of the film’s weak points, the charismatic leading men give the viewer enough entertainment value to stick it to the end. The dialogue is witty and quick and the action sequences are surprisingly impressive. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.
—Hisham Kelati
