The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

The Men Who Stare at Goats has a hippy-dippy Jeff Bridges as the leader of a top-secret Army band of "Jedi warriors" who seek to develop unconventional methods and mental "super powers" that disable the enemy. George Clooney is the most gifted trainee of the program, currently trekking across the deserts of Iraq "on a special mission" since the team was disbanded. Ewan McGregor is a small-town wannabe journalist, eager to prove himself by entering the war zone with Clooney, who perceives more than coincidence in their meeting, and Kevin Spacey is the passive-aggressive narcissist whose role in disbanding the team continues to have ripple effects. Clooney talks a lot about his powers to McGregor and one wonders whether he is really a blowhard (like his character in O Brother Where Art Thou?), but the clearest use of his powers (though for "the dark side," as seen in the trailer) is when he furrows his brow and quivers until he stops the heart of a goat. None of this makes much narrative sense if you are a stickler for that sort of thing, and frankly the storyline rambles a bit. However, the whimsy and not-too-serious nature of this movie is the entire point -- never as over-the-top and salty as Inglorious Basterds, this movie's unconventional fighting force prays to Mother Earth and does yoga. It is a loopy, mild-mannered and goofy bit of fun. I love it but I relax my rating somewhat because the pace is more relaxed than focused. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (6-13-2011, posted 7-2-2016)