ofpsmith
"More of this is true than you would actually believe." A title card tells us before the film starts. This story that you will never believe is actually based on anything in reality starts off with Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) a down on his luck reporter who goes to Iraq to get the latest scoop on the War on Terror. In doing so he meets Sergeant First Class Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) a former US Army soldier who was part of a top secret unit of the Army called the New Earth Army, which was a unit that used paranormal powers. As Lyn drives Bob to an Army outpost he tells his the history of the unit, with Lyn's friendship with his commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Bill Django (Jeff Bridges). But because Lyn and Bob are in Iraq they run into Al Qaeda and a security detail that complicate their lives. Luckily Lyn's psychic abilities always get them out of a jam. Overall I thought this was a good comedy that always managed to put elements of humor in at the right moments. I also can't help but feel that the movie I really about friendship. Bob and Lyn's dialog together is funny, and Clooney gives a great comedic showing. The movie is also told in many flashback scenes with Lyn and Bill in the New Earth Army and the relationship that these two guys have is just great. It's not a perfect comedy but it's certainly not as bad as some people make it out to be.
glila
Before watching this movie I had to do some research on it and the results were not pretty. A 51% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.3 on here says a lot about a film. I did however read multiple reviews that the confusing and hard to follow story was supported by a noble cast including Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. This seems very much like the kind of movie I would like and I did like it. I thought that it was going to be a lot less funny than it actually was. It was marketed as a comedy yet was very dramatic, and the humor was dark. I know this bothers a lot of people but I like it. Overall I had very low standards and I was pleasantly proved wrong by a quirky, confusing, well casted romp with some more dark moments you don't expect to find in a comedy.
Mike B
That movie is quite amusing if you know the facts around it being true...It making a mocky of the U.S. Army's extensive history of actually investigating paranormal methods for combat. When it comes to 'murica they will do anything with the tax payers money for improving their warfare.There was a guy named Nick Rowe, a Special Forces operator who spent 62 months imprisoned in a Vietnamese POW camp. I believe it was him to leaked the details of what he believed to be mind controlling goats which he witnessed there. That lead US into extreme researching of the topic.The 'fainting' goat itself is extremely funny which the US government actually researched on as being actually paranormal.Makes sense seeing a certain type of goat dropping dead by human interaction could be easily confused as something more. However, they where very certain it was paranormal power and therefore wanted it for themselves and apply it to actual people! The US government just believed it was due to people actually staring at the goat for long periods of time at them, focusing paranoid brain activity towards them, which made their heart stop. Really it was just anything that spooked them. Due to an congenital (present from birth) medical condition known as myotonia congenita or Thomsen's disease, certain goat's muscles tense up when the animal is startled and don't immediately relax. Younger ones are more affected and it can even stop their heart for a moment - which can label them as pronouced dead, then revived moments later.
Al_The_Strange
It's a premise so hard to believe, it can't be true. Or is it? Jon Ronson dug into it and discovered that, apparently, the US military invested in programs to develop soldiers with psychic powers, to include the ability to become invisible, walk through walls, disarm opponents, and even stop a goat's heart just by staring at it. Ronson's findings were published as a book, which started off sounding cooky and silly, but went into some dark, eye-opening territory by its second half, as the book drew some connections with the modern War on Terror (primarily with the use of subliminal messaging, drug experimentation, and unusual torture techniques).In 2009, this film came along, dramatizing Ronson's book. With an upbeat tone and a quirky sense of humor, the film induces some decent laughter; some of the biggest highlights include seeing a general trying to walk through a wall, seeing the military embrace New Age hippy culture, and of course, watching guys staring at goats. The tone is straight-faced, making it all seem the sillier, but without sacrificing too much of its plausibility. The comedy doesn't always work, and the film's pacing suffers from a few hiccups, but otherwise it's rarely a bore.The film takes many liberties with the source material, to the point where it distances itself from its non-fiction roots and becomes, simply, a story. The narrative follows the same path as the book, but uses a few more twists and dramatizations to make it stand out more as an actual story, rather than as any type of journalism. So, as a comedy, the film is decent; as a presentation of the book's findings, there are a few embellishments, exaggerations, and a lot of facts tweaked around (including name changes galore, more added to the events, more added to the narrator's life story, and some other stuff omitted). Ultimately, there may be some truth scattered around this film, but it's dramatized to the point where it's best seen for its entertainment value rather than anything enlightening.This film uses good and steady photography and editing. Acting is great; George Clooney steals the show throughout with a perfectly nuanced and humorous performance, while Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey all do the best they can. The writing is decently sardonic and witty. This production uses good, real-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is good, especially with the old-fashioned rock.Looking at this film from the comedic level, it satisfies on the same level as a Coen Bros movie, although it's not quite at the same level of brilliance. If you're looking for more actual facts on the movie's subject matter, you'd be better off reading the original book and doing some more research. Overall, I'm still not even sure whether or not I really believe in the subject matter's validity, but on film, it is pretty amusing.3.5/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good)
