Finally, after all of these years, we get to see what Star Wars might have been like, if it starred George Clooney, took place on Earth, and was fueled by loads and loads of LSD. Of course, the LSD thing could be true about the original Star Wars. From a production standpoint, that is.

All joking aside (well not all joking) the film certainly follows the "hero's journey" format, as Ewan McGregor's Bob, or as I like to call him Bobby Wan Kenobi, heads out in search of a meaningful journalistic experience in Iraq. There he meet's Clooney's Lyn Cassady, and they embark on a mission with parameters that are not only unclear, but potentially imaginary. This particular hero's journey, however, has little to do with defeating or retrieving, but rather with self discovery. Both characters are out to discover or rediscover aspects of themselves that have been lost or dormant.

Initially, going into a film that takes place in Iraq and utilizes a paramilitary unit, one would expect a bit more excitement. As our friend Yoda once said:

The lack of action was, actually, quite refreshing. It was nice to see the development of, rather than the implementation of, this unit of psychic soldiers. The training scenes, combined with the aftermath of the program, gave audiences some priceless moments. The little action that does take place lends itself to the premise, but it doesn't overwhelm it, which is what a film like ...Goats needs.

Clooney, along with co-star Jeff Bridges, are sublime as the relics of a program that quite frankly shouldn't have existed in the first place. Both actors sell the fervent attitude with which they approach the unit's training and the regret that comes with becoming said relic. In a film that asserts the events to be "mostly real", Bridges and Clooney make you want to believe.

McGregor on the other hand is a bit stale. His performance is flat and emotionless (not unlike his buddy Hayden Christensen) through most of the film. His character goes from one disappointing situation to another and displays little to no despondancy. And this was a disappointment for me since I am rather fond of McGregor.

Another aspect of the film that didn't take on any real dimension was the machinations working in the background as the "super soldier" program was underway. From time to time you would see military officials discussing the progress of the program, but there was no real outside assitance or interference as far as the movie was concerened. Soldiers were brought in from other military units, specialists were brought in to help train, and special equipment was used as well. Wouldn't we as the audience, at some point, see who the proponents of this project are, outside of the military officials running it? Funding comes from somewhere. Approval comes from somewhere. Government officials had to have been involved in the process somewhere, but we never see that aspect of the film. It would have gone a long way to see discourse among politicians regarding the validity of such a venture.

The Men Who Stare at Goats is an amusing selection, that elicits some chuckles. It's high concept, but doesn't talk down to it's audience. Between it's lampooning of the military and it's sympathetic view of the Iraqi people, there is quite a bit to enjoy in the movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't firing on all cylinders. Not all of the performances were up to par and it shortchanges the story in favor of silly antics. Worth seeing for Clooney and Bridges, but it can wait until video, where it will gain some sort of cult following.