Over the past 10 years or so, there have been a remarkable amount of movies packed with some of the bigger names Hollywood has to offer. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is added to this list with such theater-crowding names as George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. Throughout this tale of mind tricks, each one of them shows why audiences keep calling for more from these actors.

Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), in an attempt to mask his scars from a failed marriage, turns to Iraq, and the madness of war fills his mind. While trying to lose himself working on a puff piece, Wilton meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) and learns of a whole new world of war. In fact, it is a war on the existence of war.

Cassady was a member of an unofficial division of the U.S. Army called the New Earth Army. After being shot due to his men’s desire not to fight, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) found that the wish for peace of many enlisted soldiers could be utilized to defeat America’s enemies and remove war from the framework of humanity. After being sent home, Django goes on a search through 1970s America to find alternative means of defeating the enemy.

Seeing as how much of Django’s research consists of dropping acid and folk rituals, his solution was defeating the enemy with mind power. There are some fantastic montages of Django’s free-spirited work. It seems as if you are watching a clip of “The Big Lebowski.” Bridges grows out the hair and goatee, yet again becoming the drug- and peace-fueled hipster many found in the Coen Brothers’ cult classic.

Members of this army are known as “Jedi Warriors,” leading to some hilarious Star Wars references. Having McGregor on screen helps this with images of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi flashing through the audience’s minds.

The Jedis use some more than experimental techniques when it comes to fighting the good fight. It’s pretty apparent that some of these ‘abilities’ are ideas from intoxicated brainstorming, like cloud bursting (yes, bursting clouds by staring at them). The ability to be invisible is tweaked a bit, now simply the ability to not be seen. Although their system seems to be a bunch of mumbo jumbo, the power these Jedis hold is astounding. The New Earth Army backs up their big talk with magical powers that, when used properly, can go beyond reality and intertwine a world of mystical might.

All the while, the dark side is looming. Kevin Spacey plays Larry Hooper, a newer member of New Earth who has much more hostile, ominous hopes for this army. Hooper brings ‘the dark side’ with him, dirtying the name of the Jedi Warriors. As Cassady and Wilson venture into Iraq, it becomes clear that Hooper is the Darth Vader of this film.

Although filled with some beautifully funny moments, it seems that a film stacked with so many big names could have been even greater. Although the jokes are plentiful, some could take another step to kick the funny up a notch. With so much to work with, the possibilities are endless and should be taken advantage of.

Every known face in this film brings their best, creating a group of characters who explore not only the hilarious side of the plot but also portray the serious amount of power held by both sides of this Jedi battle. No matter if the jokes could have been even funnier, I will stare at “The Men Who Stare At Goats” anytime.