The Men Who Stare At Goats

Yet another strange title, and though this film was closer than Imaginarium to a good film, this attempt falls short of the mark, leaving what could've been a hilarious wild ride with all the good people, into a good premise, but a poor finale, quite literally.

The story is one of deep wonder, and bafflement (taking into account part of the story is actually meant to be true) where supposedly near the latter part of theVietnam War (1970 give or take), there were experiments held by the American Army into supposed psychic ability, taking all of the people with the most ability and training them up to become Psychic Spies (or Jedi Warriors, ironically called when the main character is played by Ewan McGregor, one Obi Wan Kenobi himself) enabling them to get the upperhand in any wars over the Koreans, Chinese, Russians, Germans, whoever the hell gets onto American land.

Now, it sounds like a potentially good story to me, anything American conspiracy takes my fancy. This film ticks all the buttons (well, maybe not one). George Clooney (hilarious in Burn After Reading), Kevin Spacey (love the movie 21), Jeff Bridges (he's in Iron Man. Iron Man is epic.) and...errr... Ewan McGregor making an attempt at an American accent once again. Surely has he not realised that after his failed attempt at one in The Island (a film I very much enjoyed) that he shouldn't go back to it again? Or that failed attempt at a Scottish accent in Angels and Demons? The list goes on. And, fair play, this was better than those two attempts, but it was still pretty dire.

The film itself was fair average overall. Clooney, naturally, steals the show as the hilarious Lyn Cassady, a "retired" (see movie for reason of double inverted commas, though you can probably guess) Jedi Warrior, with an ability he lost many years ago, with numerous one liners ("I've developed the power to be invisible...well, not invisible, just found out how not to be seen") that make this film worthwhile. Spacey is fair bland as he doesn't have much to do until the last half hour, and Bridges is moderately amusing. However, one thing that kept striking me is that this should've been a Coen Brothers production, the premise is perfect for them to step up to the plate and make another Burn After Reading. But, sadly, this movie attempts a Coen Brothers movie, but without the Coen's themselves, it's just impossible.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Usually, short films seem too short or long films seem too long. Maybe long films seem short because it's an epic film. This film, for the first time ever, made a 90 minute movie into a 180 minute movie. It was short, yet incredibly long at the same time. That's the bafflement as aforementioned.

Average, really.

6.3/10.