Many of us seem to be fascinated with the lunatic fringe that we imagine controls the military. Films like Dr. Strangelove, Catch 22, and M*A*S*H made us laugh at potentially tragic events and view military leaders as the jokesters behind the gags. Now along comes The Men Who Stare at Goats, which piques our interest from the start with its claim that "more of this is true than you would believe."

Goats is based on Jon Ronson’s book, which originally accompanied a television series called Crazy Rulers of the World. It alleges that in the ’80s there was a New Earth Army, a secret division of soldiers who were trained to use paranormal abilities. One of their tests was to stop a goat’s heart through sheer mental suggestion. The film begins in 2002 with reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), who feels he has nothing to lose and who wants desperately to get to Vietnam for a story. He runs into Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who used to be a member of the New Earth Army, or as he puts it, a Jedi knight. Wilton and Cassady bond, though it quickly becomes clear that Cassady isn’t playing with a full deck.

They run into two of Cassady’s old friends: Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), the erstwhile leader of the team, and Larry Hooper, a naysayer who wanted to shut the team down. Their stories are told as flashbacks, and the film jumps between times so quickly that it’s hard to keep up. After a strong start with Cassady’s introduction and examination, which is hilarious thanks to Clooney’s spot-on portrayal, the movie wallows until it reaches a passable third act, when Cassady and Django get back at Hooper by lacing the camp’s scrambled eggs with LSD. The ending is one you’ll either love or hate, and it just might drive you crazy in the process.

The cast, however, is superb. Bridges, acting like The Dude on acid, channels his role from The Big Lebowski, while McGregor is slightly saner without being a complete foil for Clooney and his pals. Kevin Spacey is also at the top of his game. There are some big laughs, like when a car hits a rock in the middle of a desert, but the humor often falls flat. Had this film been able to maintain the momentum of its first third, it would be a classic. As it is, it’s an interesting movie that will leave you waiting to see what director Grant Heslov does next.

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