'The Men Who Stare at Goats' Reviews

'The Men Who Stare at Goats' has to have one of the wackiest story lines -- and film titles -- we've seen in years. A reporter (Ewan McGregor) covering the war in Iraq encounters a shadowy figure (George Clooney) who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit, the New Earth Army, a legion of "warrior monks" whose unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy's thoughts, pass through solid walls and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. The leader (Jeff Bridges) of the group -- founded during the New Age era of the Vietnam War -- has gone missing, and McGregor tags along with Clooney on a mission to find him. The weird part about this is that the film was inspired by Jon Ronson's non-fiction bestseller, an exploration of the government's attempts to harness paranormal abilities.

There's no middle ground in the critics' war of words about this black comedy: They either love it or hate it. Everyone, however, salutes Clooney's performance. Reconnoiter the reviews below and let us know what you think.

Variety: "A serendipitous marriage of talent in which all hearts seem to beat as one, 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' takes Jon Ronson's book about "the apparent madness at the heart of U.S. military intelligence" and fashions a superbly written loony-tunes satire, played by a tony cast at the top of its game. Recalling many similar pics, from 'Dr. Strangelove' to 'Three Kings,' and the screwy so-insane-it-could-be-true illogic of 'Catch-22,' this is upscale liberal movie-making with a populist touch, in Coen brothers style."

The New York Times: "In 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' George Clooney wears a heavy mustache and a somewhat shaggier version of the military haircut called a high and tight, two adjectives which also describe his performance in this likable, lightweight, absurdist comedy."

USA Today: "Its daffy humor -- much of it provided by the deliciously loony performance of George Clooney -- is sporadic. The unconventional tale derails about midway through, wittiness dissipates and the story becomes a tedious road movie. Things perk up again in the final third when Jeff Bridges lends his outrageous, faintly Lebowskian presence."

'The Men Who Stare at Goats' Trailer


'The Men Who Stare at Goats' showtimes and tickets

The Hollywood Reporter: "An anti-Army comedy toplining Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey should have been funnier than this, but even if 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' is not worth comparing to 'Dr. Strangelove,' it should satisfy audiences with its great cast and patent absurdities, coated in quaint nostalgia for the happy hippie days of yore."

The Los Angeles Times: "For sheer stand-out-from-the-crowd oddness, 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' is hands down the best title to adorn a Hollywood film this year (and then some) ... It's a pleasure to say that the final product matches the title in both weirdness and drollery."

San Francisco Chronicle: "There's a lot of energy in 'The Men Who Stare at Goats.' It can be found in the amped-up performances and in the zigzagging narrative, which hurtles back and forth through time as though the people who made the movie couldn't wait to tell us such amazing and incredible things. This energy is persuasive. If the filmmakers are so urgent and excited about their story, there's the sense that we should be, too. It's not until about an hour later that an uneasy thought creeps in ... There's not much of a story here."

Entertainment Weekly: "[Director] Heslov slaps gags together and never begins to find a point of view. Actors like Jeff Bridges (in a ponytail) and Kevin Spacey (in the worst hairpiece of his career) jabber away as if locked in their own private acting classes, and Ewan McGregor ... looks about as lost as you'll feel. 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' is a magical-realist sitcom war farce that ends up being about nothing but its own slovenly smugness."