‘The Men Who Stare At Goats’ Makes For Sheepish Comedy

Andy Stuckey and Ryan Maddux

This week we are going back to a new release with The Men Who Stare At Goats (R). Ewan McGregor stars as a reporter researching a secret government program that fosters the creation of psychic warriors during the Iraq war. George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey costar, and Grant Heslov directs.

Ryan: One could easily make the case that George Clooney is the film star of the decade. From crowd pleasers (O Brother Where Art Thou? & The Ocean films) to critical fare (Syriana & Michael Clayton) Clooney has successfully navigated the cinematic spectrum. He's got box-office hits to his name as well as Oscar gold. But he's not been without his misfires (Solaris and The Good German) and regrettably The Men Who Stare at Goats would fall into this category. I wouldn't classify it as a bad film but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Andy: There is no question that The Men Who Stare at Goats is not up to the unreasonably high standards of a movie that George Clooney movie. It is pretty decent, but it seems to be unsure what kind of movie it is supposed to be. The ad campaign made it seem strictly like a ridiculous comedy, but in actuality there are several moments where the film takes itself very seriously. Instead of playing like a dramedy, it comes across as disjointed and lacking focus.

Ryan: By it's nature The Men Who Stare at Goats is a quite an absurd movie but that does make for some humorous moments. At times the film is engaging but unfortunately those scenes of worth are few and far between. The filmmakers are unable to aptly execute the full potential of the film. With an A+ cast and an intriguing premise the recipe for a successful movie was there. But it just doesn't pan out that way. This is just one of those films where the final product doesn't measure up to the parts involved.

Andy: The title of the movie suggests that this is going to be a comedy. Coupled with the fairly hilarious shot of Clooney staring down a goat that was the centerpiece of the ad campaign, it seemed like this was going to be a straight-up farce. It turns out that the scene the title was referring to was supposed to be one of the more serious parts of the movie. Ultimately movie’s funnier scenes work better, but they don’t quite hold the narrative together as well as you’d like it to.

Ryan: There's no doubt that the cast involved was the major selling point for the film. I've already talked up Clooney but it's not challenging talking up Bridges, Spacey or McGregor as well. But while there are flashes of (some) brilliance - for the most part - the performances in the film are of the uninspired variety. Bridges is basically playing a watered down version of The Dude (from The Big Lebowski). Spacey has phoned in most of his performances of this decade and that pattern continues here. And Ewan McGregor as a Midwestern news reporter - just not happening.

Andy: The cast is very recognizable, and they do an okay job. Clooney seems to really enjoy doing comedies, and he is definitely the highlight here. I thought McGregor did an okay job, but there is something a little strange about McGregor making repeated (ironic?) references to Jedi in a movie that isn’t actually about Star Wars. Bridges and Spacey are certainly lackluster, and the rest of the cast is merely adequate.

The Men Who Stare At Goats ends up being an interesting movie, but not quite as good as it seems like it should be. Final grade: C+.

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