Reel Critics:

Director Grant Heslov has a screenwriting credit on the outstanding Oscar-nominated film “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Unfortunately, the quality of his writing talent did not transfer well to his role as the director of the strange and disjointed farce that is “The Men Who Stare at Goats.”

It’s based loosely on journalist Jon Ronson’s book about the U.S. Army’s real efforts to develop a psychic brigade of soldiers with paranormal powers. The plan was to counter the Soviet’s advanced efforts to do the same in the post-Vietnam era. New Age philosophy, drug use and killing animals with mental powers are in the training regimen. George Clooney, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges are cast as the bizarre misfits who are solicited to be part of the experimental outfit.

Rarely has so much acting talent been used to so little effect. They all have a great screen presence in this film. But their sophomoric roles look like they were designed for a high school play and not a major motion picture. In the right hands, this plot might have been rousing satire of military madness on the order of “Three Kings” or “Dr Strangelove.” But the final product is way too silly to be taken seriously on any level.

‘Fourth Kind’ is kind of dumb

There are all kinds of scary movies — good and bad, cheesy and sleazy. Some, as in “Paranormal Activity,” seriously creep us out as though we’re witnessing actual events. “The Fourth Kind” is none of the above.

It wants us to believe we’re seeing dramatic reenactments from taped sessions with Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist from Nome, Alaska. But what throws us off is showing “actual footage” vs. the “Hollywood version” on a split screen. Are we supposed to compare the two? It’s confusing and it’s dumb. Come on guys, pick a side and stay there.

As Dr. Tyler, Milla Jovovich has all the credibility of a TV ad for insomnia. It’s no wonder nobody can believe the strange events she is witnessing, nor her explanation for sudden acts of violence suffered by her husband and patients. Big deal, she can see aliens from her house.

Heading up the list of nonbelievers is a local sheriff (Will Patton) who refuses to accept such crazy notions as UFOs or abductions. However, he seems to be a devout follower of insanely bad overacting. Can I make a citizen’s arrest?

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.