At times, The Men Who Stare at Goats seems like it could be a minor entry in the Coen brothers’ filmography. Quirky dialogue and a few Coens alumni—George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Stephen Root—populate the film, and it certainly veers toward the surreal. Though the movie gets a few laughs with its absurdist humor and winks at the audience, it never reaches the inspired lunacy of the Coens’ previous work, or even approaches the heights of similar war satires such as Three Kings and Catch-22.

Despite elements that make it seem more science fiction than non-fiction, the debut from actor/writer Grant Heslov is based on Jon Ronson’s factual book. Ewan McGregor employs a slightly distracting American accent to play Bob Wilton, an Ann Arbor journalist. In investigating a routine story, he interviews Gus Lacey (Root). At first, Lacey's stories about life as a psychic spy seem crazy, but a video adds credence to his story.

After a life-changing event, Bob departs for the Middle East to serve as an embedded journalist in the war in Iraq. A chance encounter connects him with Lyn Cassady (Clooney), one of Lacey's fellow psychic soldiers in the New Earth Army. Cassady recounts his work as a Jedi-like fighter who was trained by hippie superior Bill Django (Bridges) and competed with a fellow mind-power-wielding man in uniform, Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey). Wilton learns of experiments that seem too strange to be true, including Cassady’s attempt to kill a goat with his psychic powers.  

The Men Who Stare at Goats jumps between Cassady's training and his current adventure with Wilton, and this lack of focus doesn’t work well for the film. It’s an uneven picture, highlighted by Rolfe Kent’s score that jumps from wonderfully weird to sadly standard. The script from Peter Straughan (How to Lose Friends & Alienate People—another star-filled adaptation sunk by its writing) provides a few sparkles of wit, but this largely dull affair is only saved by its top-notch cast.

Clooney is predictably wonderful, whether he’s giving a goat a death stare or displaying his love of dance. Spacey is sneaking and sinister, but the part is perfect for him with its mixture of humor and menace. In a small role as General Hopgood, Stephen Lang (Public Enemies) gets plenty of laughs with his quietly funny performance. Meanwhile, McGregor employs his Down with Love accent, for better or worse, but he’s hard to notice in a role overshadowed by his co-stars.

In most casts, Clooney would be the standout, but here he loses out to veteran actor Jeff Bridges. Django’s appearances span decades, and Bridges is equally able to play the green Vietnam soldier and the burnt-out hippie. The character may be at his most interesting when he’s at his peak in the 1980s, but the actor is at his best when playing the aging former soldier who sways between nearly comatose and mischievous.

Bridges has long been a favorite with a career of memorable roles in The Last Picture Show, 1976's King Kong, The Fisher King and The Big Lebowski, and his role in the upcoming film Crazy Heart is drawing Oscar buzz with its year-end release. He’s been nominated four times, but performances like the one here make it a shock that his has never been the name in the envelope.

First-time director Heslov is surrounded by talent both in front of and behind the camera, including Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) on his list of crew members, but the help doesn’t elevate his debut. He frequently collaborates with Clooney as producer or screenwriter, but the results have ranged from sublime (Good Night, and Good Luck) to subpar (Leatherheads). The Men Who Stare at Goats lands firmly in the "meh" middle, unlikely to inspire either ardent fans or loud critics. It’s a fine balm to soothe Clooney fans who can’t wait for Up in the Air, but truth be told you’re better off revisiting Ocean’s Eleven, Michael Clayton, or Good Night, and Good Luck.