The Men Who Stare at Goats

3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (188 customer reviews)
In this quirky dark comedy inspired by a real life story you will hardly believe is actually true, astonishing revelations about a top-secret wing of the U.S. military come to light when a reporter encounters an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission.
  • Starring: George Clooney, Jeff Bridges
  • Directed by: Grant Heslov
  • Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes
  • Release year: 2009
  • Studio: Starz
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Synopsis: In this quirky dark comedy inspired by a real life story you will hardly believe is actually true, astonishing revelations about a top-secret wing of the U.S. military come to light when a reporter encounters an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission.
Starring: George Clooney, Jeff Bridges
Supporting actors: Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey
Directed by: Grant Heslov
Genre: Comedy, War
Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: Details
Release year: 2009
Studio: Starz
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity
ASIN: B0036SUQWA (Rental) and B0036SQZ2K (Purchase)
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Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period Details
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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Theatrical Release Information
  • US Theatrical Release Date: November 06, 2009
  • MPAA: Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity
  • Production Company: BBC Films, Smoke House, Westgate Film Services, Winchester Capital Partners
  • Filming Locations: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Estancia, New Mexico, USA | New Mexico Military Institute - 101 W. College Boulevard, Roswell, New Mexico, USA | Puerto Rico | Santa Clarita, California, USA

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Customer Reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
(188)
3.3 out of 5 stars
See all 188 customer reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
67 of 72 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Smart and enjoyable, but not as lasting as it should be. March 22, 2010
By DanD VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
George Clooney, Ewen McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root, Stephen Lang...THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS has an one of the best cast lineups of any 2009 film (a year in which a lot of good actors made a lot of good movies). The film is based around a supposedly true plot: "psychic warriors" trained to fight terrorists, led by a hippie soldier, attacked by an arrogant Army officer, and infiltrated by a bored investigative reporter and a former psychic soldier. It makes for a great story, and overall, GOATS succeeds brilliantly; it is a delightful, at times dark film (the last 20 minutes or so get so dark, you'll wish the whole film had been this gutsy) that proposes a lot of questions, and doesn't bother answering them (like any good satire should).

However, something's lacking. Peter Straughan's script isn't up to par; and Grant Heslov's directing seems at times undecided. The acting is fine--Clooney is understated; Bridges is himself; Spacey is delightfully off-kilter; and watching McGregor deadpan the question "What's a Jedi?" is just good geeky fun--but the film itself doesn't live up to the cast's combined talents. The end result is a film that's certainly an enjoyable watch, even laugh-out-loud funny in spots (though it's overall a subtle comedy; this isn't slapstick, it's satire), but doesn't have the lasting effect something with this weight should. The ending is ultimately a let-down; a lot of build up for very little. That's not to say the movie isn't worth your time; if you enjoy intellectual comedies, you'll definitely want to check it out. However, unlike others of the genre--DR. STRANGELOVE comes to mind, though it's probably unfair to compare any war satire to Kubrick's masterpiece--THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS doesn't stay with you once you're done watching. And that is a damn shame, because a film with this great a cast, and this interesting a premise, deserves--almost necessitates--a lasting presence. As is, we have an enjoyable intelligent comedy that is slightly less than the sum of its parts.
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45 of 51 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Five if you are former CIA or SOF, rest of world will not get it May 7, 2010
By Robert David STEELE Vivas HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
An extraordinarily talented and experienced international law enforcement officer watched this on loan from me before I saw it, and hated it. Now that I have watched it myself, I understand--if you have not been deeply engaged with CIA and all of its idiocyncrasies including remote viewing, acoustic-kitty, the pigeons that came before Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and then over to SOF (Special Operations Forces) where "unconventional" had to go covert to survive the straight-leg generals with no clue, you will simply not appreciate this movie.

DanD nails it--this is satire and also a brilliant documentary of what can only be decribed as a well-intentioned long-running Goat F..k. The movie is a collage of several different real initiatives including the First Earth Battalion (I knew a couple of the principals, decades ahead of their time); the Peace Warrior initiative, and of course Remote Viewing, the CIA's notorious MKULTRA and LSD for unwitting victims, and so on.

At one point in the movie the two principal actors are discussing the remorse--the angst--over having used his power to actually kill a goat with his mind, and the other guy pops in with "Silence of the Goats." That just about sums it up--this is, for someone steeped in the well-intentioned lunacy of the past--a perfect five, and I have to believe that the world-class actors that decided to do this did it knowing that it would be misunderstood by many, but a real hoot among the veterans of the seventies and eighties.

The only thing not in here, certainly worthy of a sequel to this movie, is extra-terrestial encounters, leveraging extra-terrestial technologies, warnings from extraterrestials [humans now being in a state of quarentine for being stupid squared], and the exotic, wasteful, and generally hilarious methods used to keep Area 51 and related projects "secret."

See also:
Peaceful Warrior (Widescreen)
First Earth Battalion Operations Manual: Reprint of Original Manual from the 70's
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence
Psychic Warrior
Psychic Warrior: The True Story of America's Foremost Psychic Spy and the Cover-Up of the CIA's Top-Secret Stargate Program
Memoirs of a Psychic Spy: The Remarkable Life of U.S. Government Remote Viewer 001
Hidden Secrets: The Complete History of Espionage and the Technology Used to Support ItHidden Truth: Forbidden Knowledge
Disclosure : Military and Government Witnesses Reveal the Greatest Secrets in Modern History
Hidden Truth: Forbidden Knowledge
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23 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated War Satire Delivers on DVD March 22, 2010
By Cubist
Format:DVD
After making serious political films like Syriana (Widescreen Edition) and Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition), it's nice to see George Clooney starring in a political satire that is funny but still has something to say as it shows the absurdity of the war in Iraq. The Men Who Stare at Goats falls under the truth is stranger than fiction category as it presents a story populated by eccentric characters and tall tales, some of which might be true. Regardless, it is an entertaining film with a wonderfully oddball sense of humor. Don't be put off by the setting. Although it takes place in Iraq, The Men Who Stare at Goats is not weighed down by the baggage of this war.

There is an audio commentary by the film's director Grant Heslov. He points out certain characters that are composites but is quick to explain that what they say comes from Jon Ronson's book The Men Who Stare at Goats. He sometimes spends too much time telling us where certain scenes were shot which gets tiresome pretty fast. Heslov's focus is mostly on the nuts and bolts of filmmaking but done in a fairly dry and uninteresting way.

Also included is a commentary by the book's author Jon Ronson. He points out the scenes that are based on real incidents and talks about meeting the actual people that the characters are based on. He also explains who the composite characters are and tells all sorts of fascinating anecdotes. If you want to learn more the people and events behind the ones depicted in the film, this is worth a listen if only to find out how much is taken from his book and experiences.

"Goats Declassified: The Real Men of the First Earth Battalion" features some of the actual military personnel depicted The Men Who Stare at Goats. They talk about some of their intentions. We also learn about how this top secret unit's techniques were brought to light. It's great to hear from the actual people as they tell their fascinating stories.

"Project `Hollywood': A Classified Report from the Set" takes a brief look at the origins of the film and how it got made. Several of the lead actors talk about their characters and there's footage of them having fun on location.

"Character Bios" is a collection of trailer for the film emphasizing several key characters.

Also included is four minutes of deleted scenes. There is more flashback footage some of which should've stayed in as it's quite funny.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good!
Grant Heslov's comedy war film follows the story of Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) whose marriage falls apart at the outset so he decides to head for Iraq in search of a story. Read more
Published 1 day ago by D Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Will Blow Your Mind
Maybe it was because I didn't know what to expect with this movie. I have also never considered myself a fan of George Clooney. Well, enough said - I won't spoil any of it for you. Read more
Published 6 days ago by grant_b_goods
3.0 out of 5 stars Just OK
Considering the cast, it's not as good as I expected.
Lots of dull moments and not the action I anticipated.
Published 7 days ago by Stuart Z
5.0 out of 5 stars Truth Is Just As Strange As Fiction, and More Fun!
This story based on real occurrences holds its own in the tradition of "Dr. Strangelove" and such. Clooney, Spacey, and Bridges are a scream. Read more
Published 11 days ago by C. J.
1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely terrible!
Just off the top I want to say this is a review of the reviews, of the title, and of the trailers. Firstly I saw several different trailers for the film. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Natja Kristy
4.0 out of 5 stars great movie
Wow, I love this movie so I rented it again. Ie also has an amazing cast. People say a lot of it is true, and the movie starts with-you won't believe how much of this is true,... Read more
Published 15 days ago by crystal jaczuk
1.0 out of 5 stars Very bad movie -- In a Bad Way!
Look, I love bad movies provided that they're unapologetically funny enough to make me laugh until tears start seeping out of my eyes, like Orgazmo. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Glenn Gamble
4.0 out of 5 stars again--because i have no choice
I have no option of simply rating this without typing a review and it irritates me more than mere words can say
Published 1 month ago by R. Springer-Vega
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious movie!
I deeply enjoy this movie every time I watch it. I heard that it got a lot of bad reviews and publicity, but I still like it and find it funny.
Published 1 month ago by Nathaniel Owen
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny Movie
This movie is so funny - we still have no idea what it is about - even after seeing it 3 times - but we love it!
Published 2 months ago by Denise Y Winkler
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Funny
I have read many of the reviews of this movie. I realize that I am part of a smallish group, maybe just like the Jedi's in the movie are a smallish group. Either you get it or you don't. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen, period.
Mar 3, 2011 by Phoebe Saffold |  See all 2 posts
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