Review of "The Men Who Stare at Goats," now playing

The Men Who Stare at Goats
Director: Grant Heslov
With: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang

George Clooney has made a career of doing films both funny and serious about social issues and politics.  Goats is one of those funny ones, just not one of the best.
Bob Wilton (McGregor) is a journalist trying to get his life together after personal and professional reverses.  In an interview with a whistle-blower, he learns about Lyn Cassady, who was part of an experimental Army program to create a force that wins wars with psychic power.
And, yes, this is based in reality, but how much is an open question.  The so-called New Earth Army is led by Bill Django (Bridges), a psychedelic ranger and New Age-y type guru.
One of the exercises the group attempts is to kill goats with the power of their minds, and hence the title.  Wilton meets Cassady, who agrees to take him on an unspecified mission, years after the New Earth Army was disbanded in scandal engineered by Larry Hooper (Spacey), a rival and enemy of Django’s.
We get the flashback story of the New Earth Army, with goofy LSD and New Age cliches, as well as the current mission.  Clooney is famous for burying his star status under roles where he plays dumb or weird or both.  I give him a lot of credit for his politics and his refusal to play movie star.
I just wish this were a better movie.  It won’t hurt you to go see it, but you really can wait for the video and save some money.  An example of the humor in this film is that the New Earth Army warriors are referred to as Jedi Knights.  And McGregor was one.  Sly, right?
B-