CARD SHARK'S REVIEW OF:
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (2009)

OPENING THOUGHTS

    I was going into this film blind. I had seen the previews sure, but not a single person had mentioned if this movie was worth seeing. So naturally I wasn't expecting this be un-memorable, and I am sure in about a year after I have forgotten that I have seen this I will rent it again. I was quickly impressed though at the start if the movie when the opening line appeared on the screen: "The events in this story are truer than you would probably believe."

ACTING

    GEORGE CLOONEY did a George Clooney job in this movie. He seems to play the same type of guy in most of his films without really challenging himself, with the possible exception of O, Brother Where Art Thou?. It was pretty entertaining to see him tell Ewan McGregor that he was some kind of Jedi Knight, and before you start complaining I'm not spoiling anything... That's in the preview.
    EWAN MCGREGOR did a much better job than I was expecting in this movie. He played the part of a burned out reporter brilliantly and he actually had me wondering if he settled into that role so easily because he is becoming a burned out actor. Face it you do 3 Lucas movies and The Island and then tell me your not burned out. I liked him in Trainspotting, but his last good film was probably Big Fish.
    JEFF BRIDGES was once again the best actor in the movie. He was born to play a hippie soldier. Imagine if you could take The Dude from The Big Lebowski and put him in a military uniform, voila you would then have his character in The Men Who Stare At Goats. It's just too bad he couldn't win two Oscars in a single year. I love this man and I hope he makes a shit-load more movies.

DIRECTION AND SCRIPT

    GRANT HESLOV directed this thing, and he managed to make the desert look real pretty. I really want to ream him because he was involved with Leatherheads, but at the same time I feel like I should give him a break since this is his first time directing a feature film. I'm so conflicted. The segments I saw on the preview were connected fairly well visually, but that's about the best thing I can say for him. Given the script that he had to work with, I think he did his best.
    PETER STRAUGHAN adapted this script from the book by on Ronson. It's ironic that his last script was How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, because if he hadn't already, I am sure that he has lost all of his friends and has been alienated. I really just felt that the script was trying too hard to be funny. I'm sure he figured if he just through together a bunch of kind of funny things and talked about things that the majority of people liked he would have a good movie. So using that same logic, from now on every review, I will mention boobs and free beer. I'm a fucking genius.

THE VERDICT

    I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I watched this film because the blu-ray was looking all shiny and new and was practically begging for it, so I did it. Now that the movie has violated my gaping hole of a mind, I have found that it has left me disappointed and looking at others to satisfy my needs. It's a little short but I didn't mind. Sometimes shorter is better, especially if the movie you are watching wasn't that good.
 
 

RATING: C +

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