Grant Heslov’s The Men Who Stare at Goats is based on Jon Ronson’s book, in which the author investigates reports of the US military using soldiers who have psychic powers. I saw a documentary a number of years ago on the same subject and that struggled to command the attention for an hour, so it’s no surprise that a feature length film also has difficulty in keeping us entertained. This fact is well highlighted by an ending which feels totally superfluous to the psychic “super soldiers” storyline, and though it doesn’t feel tacked on, it definitely gives the impression the writers were running out of ideas. Leading up to this we mainly focus on Ewan McGregor and George Clooney as journalist and psychic “super soldier”, respectively. Both actors put in decent performances and seem to be enjoying themselves. They can’t do much with the problematic screenplay though which is neither funny enough nor satirical enough to fit into either genre. The message of the film is confused as well. Are we mocking the “super soldiers” for their supposed abilities? Or are they misunderstood outsiders who can “burst” clouds just by looking at them? Nothing is really clear, and though the over riding aura of the film is meant to be one of confusion, as there is no real resolution as we go along, you’ll be scratching your head in bemusement rather than amusement.
The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
It’s hard to really slate this, but it really isn’t one thing or the other and it runs out of steam long before the ridiculous ending. Rating: 4/10.
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