Henderson Oracle

Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Overture Films Face off - Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) attempts to stop a goat's heart with his mind in "The Men Who Stare at Goats." Reporter Bob Wilton follows Cassady as he attempts to overpower the enemy with his psychic abilities. The film was released last week.

In a way, going to see a movie based on the trailer is like signing a contract with the production company.

The trailer makes certain promises, and the future viewer agrees to see the film based on these things.

"I'm funny; you should come see me."

"How do I know you're funny?"

"Check out this scene."

"You're right, that was funny. What else you got?"

"Big name actors - look."

"Wow! Now I really want to see you."

So the cycle goes every time us viewers watch a trailer. There are three possible outcomes to this agreement. We might be disappointed. "Man, the movie wasn't nearly as good as the trailer made it seem." We might experience a joyous surprise. "Dude, it was so much better than I thought it would be." And of course the it-met-my-expectations reaction. "This movie was exactly what I expected it to be."

This final reaction seems to be the case with Grant Heslov's "The Men Who Stare at Goats." It is precisely what viewers expected it be - nothing more, nothing less.

A reporter named Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) meets an unusual man name Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who claims to be a member of the New Earth Army, a secret organizations funded by the United States to train psychics and use them as weapons.

Wilton decides to cover the story because he needs something to jump-start both his life and his career.

The story of the New Earth Army is told through a series of flashbacks as Wilton and Cassady travel through the recent Middle East. Cassady, who is the best and the brightest from the New Earth Army, claims to be on a secret mission. During the flashbacks the story of Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) and Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) are revealed.

Django is the founder of this organization and teaches the men to tap into their ability through some unusual methods.

Including dancing, yoga and LSD. Hooper is Cassady's arch nemesis who single-handedly destroyed Cassady and Django.

Continued...

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