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Rules of Engagement | Year: 2000 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - William Friedkin Actors/Actresses: - Tommy Lee Jones - Samuel L.Jackson Art imitates life... This action/court drama film seems to climax near it's beginning, instead of near the end. In the main opening scene (Which I prefer to focus on in this review), we see Samuel L. Jackson (Marine commander & decorated war hero) and his troops surrounded by a bloodthirsty mob of machine-gun firing terrorist snipers, protected by the 'human sheild' of an even larger mob of stone & firebomb throwing terrorists- many of them women & children. (i.e., typical Arab behavior). As someone who served 3 years in the Israeli army, I must point out that for myself, and thousands like me, this story is fact instead of fiction. In the real world, Israeli soldiers find themselves in this exact same situation almost every single day. To us this is life- Not just another movie. Unfortunately, in real life, Israeli soldiers wouldn't dare take such aggressive steps to quiet the bloodthirsty mobs in Ramallah, Kalkilya, and Gaza City- Because unlike Samuel L. Jackson, there would be no happy ending for the Israeli commander who would dare open fire into the terrorist crowd... Predictable military drama What is essentially a run-of-the-mill military drama, with a lacklustre plot, is only redeemed by the terrific performances of its leads, Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones. A highly decorated Marine and Vietvet, Terry Childers (Jackson) is called upon to rescue the American ambassador and his family from Yemen, where the embassy building is surrounded by a crowd of angry anti-American demonstrators. Once the crowd turns hostile and opens fire on the rescue team, killing several Marines, Childers orders his men to fire back, annihilating a large number of civilian targets, including women, old men and children. The public outrage leads to a scandal and a court-marshal for Childers, who asks his old Vietnam buddy (Jones) now a mediocre lawyer and a recovering alcoholic, to take his case. What follows completely defies credibility, as a cover-up is masterminded by a top national security official, who is eager to use Childers as a scapegoat in order to preserve good U.S. relations with the Middle Eastern states. Even worse, the last reel is a total misfire. The two star leads are also let down by the modest script. MORE THAN JUST A COURTROOM DRAMA Having served in the Marine Corps, I am a sucker for all things Marine. I am also a fan of both Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson, but then again who isnt? These two powerhouse performers team up for one good movie. Jackson plays Terry Childers who is a 30 year combat veteran colonel in the Marine Corps. Childers is sent into Yemen to rescue an Ambassador (Ben Kingsley) and his family. The mission gets quite hairy and terrorists and civilians both are caught in the firestorm to follow. The incident in seen as an embarassment at best and a political nightmare at worst by the folks in Washington and Childers is put on military trial for murder. He asks his old buddy Hayes Hodges (Jones) to defend him. Hodges also happens to owe Childers his life from events in Vietnam. The movie has the outcome you might expect and along the way we are introduced to a not so hidden conspiracy to frame Childers for the crime. What separates this usual plot from other films is the outstanding acting of Jackson and Jones. Jones takes center stage and wows you as a former combat Marine turned military lawyer who struggles to search for his own identity and questions his value as a Marine along the way. Jackson as always delivers a rock solid and emotional performance. The direction of this movie is particularly note worthy. It does an admirable job with addressing the modern military dilemna of fighting unseen enemies in urban environments. The director holds some things from you so that you will find yourself questioning the acts of the Marines involved in the shooting. Only at the end does he give you everything you need to know. This makes the movie better than most. Overall it is great and the only thing that keeps it from being a five star flick is that Jackson's character, although central to the plot, had to take a backseat to Tommy Lee Jones performance. I thought the nature of the film would have benefited from more scenes surrounding how Childers was dealing with the consequences of his actions. Still, it is a movie worth adding to your collection. Enjoy. USMC! An excellant film! Why? Because it not only shows what men do under heavy fire, it also shows what they would really do. Not just have it sugar coated for the audience. Looking at the opening part of the movie, one can tell that it is Vietnam. Without words this sets the tone. You can just tell that a battle is going to happen. When it does the images are real. Later on in the film there is another battle taking place and this seems to be one of the most realistic I've ever seen. Samuel L. Jackson plays a Marine in charge of a rescue mission to save an American ambassador. When he orders his men to fire into a crowd containing men, women and children. Jackson is sent to trial. Tommy Lee Jones must some how prove that Jackson and his men had been fired upon from the crowd. A very real story centering around Marines, and a realistic view of war and every other day stuff helps give us a good view of men who risk there lives for others! Great sound and sound effects editing! Grade:B Buy Rules Of Engagement at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  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