Peaceful means of conflict resolution is an end toward which man has striven for years as we attempt to become a more enlightened and culturally accepting global community. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is a film taking the aforementioned goal, mixing it with well-timed situational and physical comedy to create an experience not altogether unlike a tasty bowl of your favorite ice cream. Yes, I am romanticizing the movie a little bit, but then, it isn’t often I leave a movie and don’t immediately start to complain and critique to anyone fortunate or unfortunate enough to be within earshot.

The story is simple. The American military invests some of its enormous allotments of capital into investigating the possibility of super-powered soldiers. These soldiers would learn to use their minds as weapons after a manner not all that dissimilar to the Jedi from “Star Wars.” Naturally, the training is sort of crazy: trying to run through walls, staring down enemies with guns, blowing up clouds by concentrating on them, using astral projection to send a mind in search of missing persons, and a slew of other oddities frequently reserved for comic books and sci-fi novels.

This could all seem a little silly and not the proper cup of tea to satiate the current masses of movie-goers’ tastes for blood and sex, although there is still a fair amount.

There are explosions — they are in Iraq a lot, so guns and booms do happen — and scantily clad women who aren’t nearly as attractive without all the Hollywood makeup magic and computer editing to make them appear as paragons of the female gene pool. Still, there is nudity, so don’t worry about getting in your flesh fix if that’s your thing.

Nevertheless, this movie keeps you chuckling and actually makes you think — don’t worry; it only makes you think a little — through the amazing talents of George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. Casts with this caliber of acting ability and history of creating cult-classic flicks for the average Joe, avid movie attendee or even film aficionado, are starting to become the key to winning the eye of the various award events worldwide. Luckily, this one isn’t shooting for any such lofty ambition — although it still may garner an award or two — and it seems content just to make you laugh and give you a little warm, fuzzy feeling.

The funny thing about a movie like this is that it isn’t only the content, but the subtext of what it’s really trying to point out, which makes “The Men Who Stare At Goats” such a worthwhile experience.

Clooney’s head-cocked-to-the-side style of delivery makes him the perfect candidate to play the Obi-Wan Kenobi-esque, semi run-down ex-soldier teaching McGregor — a wonderfully ironic casting job, as he played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new “Star Wars” trilogy — about the ways of the American military Jedi that Clooney was a part of. His delivery of this insane-yet-clear-minded, offbeat-yet-rational character’s philosophy and life story makes you wish you could meet the guy, yet run away from him laughing at the same time.

McGregor’s character is the sort of guy you see every day, or who you may even be. He’s dissatisfied with the current direction his life is going, yet unwilling to do anything about it because he is suffering from unfounded contentedness and inability to grasp what it is he truly desires, a combination all too many Americans suffer from — think the sort of men highlighted in “Fight Club.” It requires the death of a fellow employee at the newspaper he works for to forcibly kick-start his life and send him down the path toward his destiny.

Rounding out the personalities that make this film seem all too plausible are Bridges and his Yoda-like performance as the founder of the peaceable approach to war, and Spacey’s character, who, in following the assignment of “Star Wars” roles, will be labeled in the manner of Anakin Skywalker — mostly for his desire for recognition, want for power and willingness to look to the dark side for results — or just generally a follower of the Sith order…

Bridges has a mentality of non-confrontation, taking after his most-loved role as The Dude. If you do not recognize that name, stop everything you are doing and go buy — yes buy — “The Big Lebowski” and watch it. You can thank me later.

 Spacey needs little explanation as he can play any kind of character and make you believe it’s really his personality, so I’ll just say he nailed it.

“The Men Who Stare At Goats” is screwball comedy, philosophical, spiritually enlightening and a great experience.

The only complaint I really had was its short length, barely an hour-and-a-half.

Fortunately, I think this will be remedied with the DVD release, as there are many opportunities for extended scenes  during the many silly attempts by the military Jedi to find and demonstrate super powers, not to mention cast commentary and outtakes.

Nice and smooth.

Gabriel Stoffa is a senior in communication studies and political science from Ottumwa.