The Men Who Stare at Goats

[AnneJ]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/
Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVKi3z1NXF8

Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of "Warrior Monks" with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy's thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program's founder, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady's mission is to find him.

Intrigued by his new acquaintance's far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to tag along. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), the reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django's New Earth Army and Hooper's personal militia of super soldiers. In order to survive this wild adventure, Bob will have to outwit an enemy he never thought possible.


Release Date - 6th November

[superhero]

Hmm... the description doesn't sound too good. Is it meant to be like a screwball comedy? Clooney's done quite a few of those on his CV. Oh well I am still watching it next week, I hope it's decent. It's got a good review on IMDB, but they mostly have good reviews for everything on IMDB, don't you think?

[tweedledumb]

See what you think of Rotten Tomatoes for reviews:
http://uk.rottentomatoes.com

They produce a percentage score based on the reviews of a wide range of critics and classify the film as either fresh (60% or more of the reviews were good) or rotten (less than 60%). You can also read the reviews etc.

The Men who Stare at Goats is at:
http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/men_who_stare_at_goats/
and is fresh (78%)

[superhero]

Ok I guess it should be good then.

[superhero]

Another difficult film to review. It's a really bizarre film, comedy-yes, war film-kind of, documentary- well it's based on real events supposedly. The tone of the film is quite uneven and the story arc is equally uneven (if not non-existent). There's an abundant use of flashbacks and voiceovers.
At the screening the producer said it was one of those great scripts lying around in Hollywood not to be turned into a film for a long time. There's probably a reason why for that! It just might be that it doesn't translate.
I think the director wants us to care about the characters (and the goats) but the tone is so whimsical at times, you really can't take the whole thing very seriously. I won't write about the storyline or what happens and let you watch it and decide. 4/10 for me (it would have been a 3 if it wasn't because I did like the uplifiting ending)
My friend who came with me liked it though, especially the jedi master references aimed at Ewan McGregor.

[a_person]

Wow 4/10 is bad! I guess that was disappointing! Whats up with the goats?

You're watching all the George Clooney films, aren't you?!

[superhero]

the goats? they get stared at quite abit! lol....
the film's just alittle too rambling for me, don't know, someone else might like it

[bevvy]

the goats? they get stared at quite abit! lol....
the film's just alittle too rambling for me, don't know, someone else might like it

I'm hoping that your taste in films is different to mine , as I am off to see it tonight.
Will report back.

[superhero]

I would love to hear your report back, some people might like it, but I really found the screenplay weak (or it is just a very hard book to bring to the screen I think)

[bevvy]

A last-minute family emergency meant that I didn't go in the end. Phunkygal went instead so we'll have to ask her what she thought of it.