SYNOPSIS:
Reporter
Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story
when he encounters Lyn Cassady (Academy Award® winner
George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of
an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady,
the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A
legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic
powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid
walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now,
the program’s founder, Bill Django (Oscar® nominee
Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady’s mission
is to find him.
Intrigued by his new acquaintance’s far-fetched stories,
Bob impulsively decides to tag along. When the pair tracks
Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic
Larry Hooper (two-time Oscar® winner Kevin Spacey), the
reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between
the forces of Django’s New Earth Army and Hooper’s
personal militia of super soldiers. In order to survive this
wild adventure, Bob will have to outwit an enemy he never
thought possible.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It is a cast directors would die for: George
“Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, And Thirteen” Clooney
, Ewan “Obi Wan Kenobi” McGregor, Jeff “Crazy
Heart” Bridges and Kevin “Lex Luthor” Spacey.
Between them, there are a few Oscar statuettes and other supporting
actors like Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Robert Patrick (the
guy who took over David Duchovny in The X Files). There is
also the titular goat, which earns itself a rightful place
on the DVD cover. So why were we left somewhat cold and unfulfilled
when the end credits started rolling? Maybe it’s the
baffling storyline, maybe it’s the mish mash of actors
in the 94 minute movie, or maybe it’s just the goat
– a concept which proved to be too inexplicable and
bizarre for us to take on a breezy weekend afternoon.
The protagonist of the movie is played by
McGregor, a reporter who tries to get involved in the war
after his marriage fails. What he thought was a simple fight
for his country turns into a strange encounter when he meets
a Special Forces agent (a goony Clooney) who tells him that
there is a groundbreaking military secret waiting to be uncovered.
It involves a secret psychic unit which can end the war. The
journey takes these two men on an unmemorable expedition which
has to be experienced to be believed.
Director Grant Heslov (an actor in Good Night,
and Good Luck and Leatherheads – explains the Clooney
connection) tries his best to tell a quirky story about men
in war who are shrouded by countless conspiracy theories.
The result isn’t your classy Coen Brothers movie, instead
we get a sometimes awkward and self conscious movie which
does not really reach the height of eccentrics, as much as
it attempts to make actors spout ridiculously silly lines
like “Dear Mother Earth... I will drink your blue waters...
and eat your green skin.” and “What's with the
quotation fingers? It's like saying I'm only capable of ironic
attacking or something.” The screenplay seems to smart
for its own good, making the top rate actors to look, dare
we say it, stupid.
However,
the entertainment may just work for some people. The nice
connection of McGregor’s character reciting lines which
involve the Jedi is a nice in joke to the famous Jedi master
he played in George Lucas’ bombastic movies some years
ago. Besides that, the sometimes hilarious antics of the main
characters in the movie may just amuse the uncritical viewer.
Of course, there is the goat to look out for. As for what
role the animal plays, we will not reveal too much here, and
just say that the bearded animal may just be the crucial element
to stop all wars, according to Jon Ronson’s cynical
book, that is.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This
Code 3 contains six short Interview clips
with Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Grant Heslov,
Peter Straughan and Jon Ronson about the production of the
movie. Hear how McGregor talk about how he signed on to work
with Clooney, Spacey talk about the mean spirited character
he plays and Heslov talk about him falling in love with the
script. There are also three Deleted Scenes,
a Trailer, and Paranormal Goativity,
a funny 30 second clip promoting the movie.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The
movie’s visual transfer is fine, and is presented in
its original English language on 5.1 Surround.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted
on 2 August 2010
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