Directed by Grant Heslov
There is no denying that "The Men Who Stare at Goats" has its moments. A broad farce very, very loosely based on the activities of an actual paranormal unit within the U.S. military, it plays like "Stripes" meets "Taxi to the Dark Side" by way of "Hair". Goofy army humour alternates with hippie hi-jinks, LSD gags, a sustained parody of New Age philosophy, Ronald Reagan jokes and "Star Wars" references.
It has a cast able and willing to take on this ambitious mix. Ewan McGregor seizes the opportunity to poke fun at his Obi-wan Kenobi alter ego, playing a journalist investigating the so-called 'Jedi Knights'. George Clooney is at his best as the order's prime 'Earth warrior', called out of retirement via psychic message from his mentor and looking to reconnect with his old unit during the Iraq War. Jeff Bridges cruises in sub-Big Lebowski mode as the Jedi's former commander and Kevin Spacey does what he can with an underwritten part as the villain of the piece.
While "Goats" manages its tonal shifts better than you might think its structural flaws and a lack of narrative drive mean it seldom rises above the level of the belly laugh. A script which seeks to combine events in Vietnam with current affairs in the Middle East feels contrived and unfocused, particularly in a problematic third act. The effort to present the Jedis as humanitarian heroes at odds with the mainstream military and political organisation comes across as at best misconceived, at worst dishonest and insulting to genuine victims of torture.
It doesn't take much imagination to see that there is a good film inside "Goats" struggling to get out. The raw material - Jon Ronson's nonfiction book on the real New Earth army and other instances of what he sees as "the apparent madness at the heart of U.S. military intelligence" - is pure gold. It cries out for true satirical treatment, one that exposes the bizarre contradictions at work within army culture. Instead writer Peter Straughan and director Grant Heslov deliver a soft hearted comedy about tree hugging soldiers living happily ever after.
When taken in conjunction with "The Green Zone" the ending of "The Men Who Stare At Goats" confirms a disturbing trend of Hollywood pulling its punches when depicting Iraq. If only the Coen brothers had made it.