'Men Who Stare At Goats': Not your ordinary film

By no means is "The Men Who Stare at Goats," an ordinary movie. Ewan McGregor stars as Bob Wilton, a newspaper reporter who heads for the Middle East in order to develop a story on the Iraq War. His story objective is altered. But when he is introduced to Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who reveals that he was once part of a Special Forces unit known as the New Earth Army. Cassady, through a series of flashbacks, goes on to explain that the New Earth Army was founded by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) in order to create "warrior monks" that were able to fight with their minds instead of weapons. As the origins of the New Earth Army are explained throughout the movie, and their Zen teachings become more and more abstract, they develop enemies in other branches of the service and are ultimately shut down when an officer commits suicide. When Cassady confides in Wilton that he has been reactivated for one last mission, they begin a journey through the Middle East where they find themselves stranded in the desert on several occasions and even kidnapped by a group of thieves. Although Wilton first approaches his newspaper story with reasonable skepticism, he and Cassady are united by their struggles and he is forced to realize his own psychological powers. "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is well-written, but it is largely powered by the performances of its four lead actors. The film's plot lacks that moment where it finally arrives and announces its presence, but it does find humor in all the right places. Clooney blends comedic timing and dramatic presence perfectly, and McGregor does well to work off of Clooney's anchoring performance. Bridges reprises the counter-culture, hippie role that he played in "The Big Lebowski," and he couldn't look more comfortable. He sports a tie-dye T-shirt and a ponytail throughout the film and nails the role of Vietnam veteran turned counter-culture enthusiast on the head. Kevin Spacey also lends his expertise playing Larry Hooper, one of Bill Django's students and Cassady's classmate. Hooper thinks he is far more psychic than he really is and grows jealous of Cassady's unmatched abilities. Although his role is small, he finds his place in the film, becoming a sour villain and offering dry humor. During the opening credits of "The Men Who Stare at Goats," the audience is presented with the claim that "more of this is true than you would believe." After LSD trips, cloud bursting, invisibility, remote viewing and goats dropping dead, that claim doesn't seem too bizarre. After all, who could make that stuff up? "The Men Who Stare at Goats" may not have a destination but the ride may be worth the price of admission.