Movie Tour: The Men Who Stare at Goats

It's been a while since there was a movie that I really wanted to see when it came out. Well, it was a week late, but Katie and I finally saw The Men Who Stare at Goats a day or so ago (I guess that really depends on when you are reading this!)

Plot Summary

Ewan McGregor plays a reporter from Ann Arbor, Michigan whose life falls apart and he decides to go to Iraq to find a story to write. While in Kuwait, he meets Lyn Cassady, a member of the military's secret psychic ops team. What follows is a misadventure of the two new friends, as well as history of the military program interspersed throughout.

Review

I really liked this movie. As Katie and I were talking about it afterwards, there wasn't any single part that stood out, but the movie as a whole was very enjoyable. I remember laughing throughout because Clooney and McGregor are both hilarious in their respective roles. McGregor does a great job of developing his character from one who thinks the whole story is insane (which it really is) to one who totally buys into the whole thing. Clooney is at his best in screwball comedic parts, and this is right in his wheelhouse.

What I found most interesting about this movie is that without a few curse words and an unnecessary brief nudity scene, this would easily be a PG-13 movie that could have had a wider appeal. However, because of these two things, it will not be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

Recommendation

If you can get past the handful of curse words and the unnecessary brief nudity, go see it. It will make you think, laugh and wonder at the same time and at different times throughout. It is definitely not your typical slapstick comedy, so it won't have mass appeal as far as that goes, but it is definitely a smart comedy that is worth your time.

Best Part

There is a running joke (at least I took it that way) about Ewan McGregor's character understanding and becoming a Jedi (Clooney refers to the people in this secret military operation as Jedi Knights). In case you are wondering why I find this to be so funny, then perhaps you missed that there were three more Star Wars movies that came out 1999 and following, and McGregor plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight. If you didn't know that.... well, how do you keep up with the world?

A close second (which, I know, I never do) is the opening scene when a military officer tries to run through the wall. Okay, that's a little slapstick for you.