The consummate "soda pop" film; fizzy at the beginning, flat at the end

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2010)

Bob (Ewan McGregor) is a newspaper reporter who lives in Ann Arbor and is married to his longtime sweetheart. However, one day, his wife jilts him for the paper's editor. Heartbroken, Bob accepts an assignment in war-torn Iraq. While waiting to enter the country, he spies a contractor, Lyn (George Clooney) at a poolside restaurant in Kuwait. But, ho ho ho! Lyn is not really a businessman but an army agent of secret operatives. His main strength, as he tells it, is his "jedi" training, which includes visions and mind-control. Although he won't reveal his present mission, he agrees to take Bob to Baghdad. Of course, things go wrong from the get-go, as Lyn is a bad driver who hits an enormous rock and wrecks the car. Waiting for a rescue, the duo is, instead, captured by the enemy and in dire straits. Can Lyn's powers really execute an escape? In the meanwhile, the "jedi" relates the story of his training to Bob. It was oddball Bill (Jeff Bridges) who recruited him for this "new age" military operations. A Vietnam veteran, Bill sampled everything from hallucinogens to Native American mythology to martial arts to formulate a well-rounded technique. Trouble was, Larry (Kevin Spacey), as a jealous member of the team, often put a spanner into the works. But, never mind that. Can Lyn still work miracles? This is one of those "soda pop" films which start off with a great deal of fizz and go completely flat. No, its not the cast, for they are very fine indeed, as Clooney, McGregor, Bridges, Spacey and company make the most of every line. Also, the concept of the film is good, as are the costumes, scenery and the like. But, the script, which begins so well, ends up going nowhere until it reaches a ridiculous sort of finale. What a big shame! Even so, there are flashes of brilliance and some great one-liners. Therefore, if you like the cast members or "different drummer" type films, you might take a chance on the DVD. Interesting failures are, at times, good for a one-time view.