Rules of Engagement Movie Review 2000

Marine Childers (Jackson) is assigned the task of rescuing an ambassador and his family from a hostile area in Yemen. The mission goes terribly wrong and an order is given by Childers, resulting in the death of 83 Yemeni women and children. To keep the US from suffering any terrorist backlash, Childers is charged with mass murder. Effective courtroom drama (which spares us the cliched surprise witness), although it merely grazes the complex issues of military decision-making due to its skeletal script. Intensity and momentum is sustained by the towering performances of leads Jackson and Jones as Childers's buddy and lawyer. After two weeks as box-office leader, film received some protest over its negative portrayal of Arab-Americans. Based on a story by ex-Secretary of the Navy James Webb.

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 128 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Military: Marines, Order in the Court, Justice Prevails...?, Rescue Missions, Buddies, Military Crimes & Trials

Screenplay

Stephen Gaghan

Cast

Elayne J. Taylor, Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones, Guy Pearce, Bruce Greenwood, Blair Underwood, Philip Baker Hall, Anne Archer, Ben Kingsley, Mark Feuerstein, Dale Dye

Cinematography

Nicola Pecorini, William A. Fraker

Director

William Friedkin

Music

Mark Isham

Producer

Paramount Pictures