Political satires have a tendency to be misleading. Often they lure unsuspecting audiences in with the promise of a few good yuks and then beat them repeatedly over the head with an agenda-laden mallet, ultimately weighing them down with a humor too dark to be truly enjoyed. ""The Men Who Stare at Goats,"" the directorial debut of Grant Heslov, co-writer of ""Good Night and Good Luck,"" is not that kind of satire. Although it is a bit messy at times, ""The Men Who Stare at Goats"" presents, but does not force, its antiwar stance, all the while never sacrificing the levity and humor that make it so enjoyable to watch.
While ""Goats"" has a couple of plotlines going on, the film mainly follows reporter Bob Wilson (Ewan McGregor) and former psychic soldier Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney) on their trek into the heart of the Iraq war. Bob, as most plucky film journalists tend to be, is in hot pursuit of a story, any story, that will put him on the map, while Lyn, prompted by a cosmic calling, is in search of the reason why he is in Iraq in the first place.
This all must sound very vague, and it is that very vagueness of motive and situation that is the film's greatest detractor. However, as underwhelming as the main plotline is, it is used merely as a vehicle to move the film forward. The real story lies in Lyn's memories and the eventual resurgence of his psychic military unit, the New Earth Army —the brainchild of Vietnam platoon leader turned new-age hippie Bill Django (an excellent Jeff Bridges).
Bill's army is a ragtag band of eccentrics in search of purpose. These psychic warriors who ""fight"" in the name of peace appropriately call themselves the Jedi, and surprisingly, ""Star Wars"" proves to be a key player in this film. Although the New Earth Army starts out as the U.S. government's attempt to be ""the first superpower with superpowers,"" they vow to use their powers exclusively for good.
However, every ""Star Wars"" fan knows the Force works both ways, and some are inevitably swayed to the Dark Side. This movie's token Sith is Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), an ambitious but overshadowed New Earth soldier who, after dismantling the unit he failed to dominate, channels the powers of Lyn (who is for all intents and purposes our Obi-Wan) into a weapon of murder tested on goats.
The absurd and sometimes scattered farce of ""Goats"" is brought together by a slew of great performances. Clooney sheds his usual mantle of slick sophistication for a red, foam clown nose with moderate success, and neither Bridges nor Spacey fails to deliver. There are standouts, both good and bad. Stephen Lang shines as the unfailingly sincere General Hopgood, while McGregor the Scot is entirely unconvincing as an American reporter named Bob.
Surprisingly, the other unifying force of this film lies in the presence of the goats. These animals, in their mistreatment and eventual liberation, represent everything Heslov is trying to say about war. They are unwilling participants in a conflict fought by the few in charge, so as corny as it may be, the real joy in this film comes when Lyn, Bob, Bill and the gang set these POWs free to roam. Free the goats, free the world. It is a nice thought, and one not overly exploited in this satisfyingly silly film.
Grade: AB
