Rules Of Engagement
A Hero Should Never Have To Stand Alone
Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson deliver electrifying performances in this "tense, superbly-directed and top-drawer drama" (Jeffrey Lyons, NBC-TV) about what happens when the rules that command a soldier become the rules that condemn him.
Colonel Terry Childers (Jackson) is a patriot and war hero. But when a peacekeeping mission he leads in Yemen goes terribly wrong, he finds himself facing a court martial. Accused of breaking rules of engagement by killing unarmed civilians, Childers' only hope of vindication rests with comrade-in-arms Hays Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones), a military lawyer of questionable abilities. Together they face the battle of their lives.
Directed by Oscar-winning director William Friedkin (The Exorcist) and co-starring Guy Pearce, Bruce Greenwood, Anne Archer and Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley, Rules Of Engagement is "a magnificent movie you must see" (Larry King, USA Today).
Member Reviews
Action plus - FieroGT
this is a really good action / lawyer film. Samual Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones are really good in their roles and work very well together. The story is well written and is current to the times we live in. The effects are really well done but not over done. The making of featurette is also well woth the watchGripping Courtroom Drama; Difficult Moral Dilemma; Powerful Movie - revsdd
This is an absolutely superb film. As a courtroom drama, it's taut with suspense; as a moral statement it raises unsettling questions. Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones offer powerful performances: Jackson as Marine Col. Terry Childers, who faces a court martial after men under his command kill 83 civilians taking part in a demonstration outside the US Embassy in Yemen; Jones as his attorney, Marine Col. Hayes Hodges, a lawyer with a less than stellar background, whose life was saved by Childers during combat in Vietnam.
The story of the actual court martial is developed superbly. It's both tense and suspenseful, while the moral dilemma depicted (revolving around the issues of the standards expected in combat, and the ability of those who've never faced combat to judge the actions of those in combat) is very real and very powerful. You wonder whetherl the US Ambassador will really sell out the man who saved his and his family's life to curry favour with his superiors in the State Department, and the subplot of a government cover-up of evidence led by the National Security Advisor fits in nicely with the rest of the movie. Director William Friedkin does a fantastic job of building up suspense, and his flashback scenes to Vietnam are used to good effect. The focus on the little girl who had lost her leg during Hodge's trip to Yemen to investigate the incident was poignant and powerful.
Some might complain that this presents a too stereotypical view of the "bad Moslems," but the option would be to set this at one of those really violent demonstrations that are always breaking out around the US Embassy in Ottawa or Stockholm. It has a few flaws. Bruce Greenwood didn't seem well cast as the National Security Advisor, and the fight between Childers and Hodges came across as both silly and unnecessary. But those are minor points in a wonderful movie.Rules of Engagement - Jana1130
Amazing Army movie!. Great cast which should make this movie appealing to anyone. The story line keeps you intrigued and wanting to know the truth, you are rooting for the good guys and anticipating their next move. This is a movie that everyone should watch, especially those who are a fan of Military based movies!
Member Reviews
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Action plus - FieroGT
this is a really good action / lawyer film. Samual Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones are really good in their roles and work very well together. The story is well written and is current to the times we live in. The effects are really well done but not over done. ...Gripping Courtroom Drama; Difficult Moral Dilemma; Powerful Movie - revsdd
This is an absolutely superb film. As a courtroom drama, it's taut with suspense; as a moral statement it raises unsettling questions. Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones offer powerful performances: Jackson as Marine Col. Terry Childers, who faces a court ...Rules of Engagement - Jana1130
Amazing Army movie!. Great cast which should make this movie appealing to anyone. The story line keeps you intrigued and wanting to know the truth, you are rooting for the good guys and anticipating their next move. This is a movie that everyone should ...