Today’s quick review: Rules of Engagement. After his attempt to defend the US Embassy in Yemen ends in a bloodbath, Colonel Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) is court-martialed for ordering his Marines to open fire on a crowd of civilians. With the government determined to make him a scapegoat, his only hope of clearing is name is Colonel Hayes Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones), a second-rate military lawyer whose life Childers saved in Vietnam.
Rules of Engagement is a military drama about the trial of a Marine Corps colonel accused of killing unarmed civilians overseas. Samuel L. Jackson stars as Terry Childers, an honorable man and a lifelong soldier betrayed by his country when his actions lead to international outrage. Tommy Lee Jones plays opposite him as Hayes Hodges, a washed-up lawyer who finds himself searching frantically for the truth of an incident the US government wants to cover up.
Rules of Engagement explores the moral dimension of military service and war. In many ways, Childers is an ideal soldier: brave, capable, and utterly loyal. But those same qualities make him prone to crossing the line when his men are in danger. The trial unearths not only a complicated situation in the present but ghosts from Childers’ past that threaten to unravel Hodges’ defense. The result is a multifaceted trial with plenty of twists and turns.
However, so much of the movie depends on the morality of Childers’ actions that it’s easy for a viewer to sour on the whole thing. Childers is not a perfect man, and the movie has a hard time reconciling the need to make his case morally ambiguous and keeping him sympathetic. The fact that the movie is dealing with sensitive real-world issues is another easy source of dissatisfaction. Not everyone will agree with its particular style of patriotism.
Overall, Rules of Engagement is a drama that does have something to offer for the right viewer. Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones are in fine form, and the story deals with more nuanced questions than a lot of other films. But the combination of odd tensions on the story, realistic subject matter, and a story that falls short of the best legal dramas means that Rules of Engagement is not a surefire pick. Drama fans should approach with caution.
For a more thrilling legal drama, try Primal Fear. For another drama about a washed-up military lawyer defending a hopeless case, try High Crimes.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for solid acting and a decent plot.