Rules of Engagement

_Rules of Engagement_ is a military drama that tackles complex themes with intelligence and nuance. The film features outstanding performances from its lead actors, Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson, who deliver powerful and emotional performances that are impossible to forget. The movie's exploration of the gray areas of war and the moral dilemmas that soldiers face is thought-provoking and insightful, and it leaves a lasting impact on the viewer.

A military action / courtroom drama combo platter that promises to pay special attention to the thin gray line separating morality and duty for occupying troops. It knows how to best use its stars - Tommy Lee Jones gets plenty of time to chew screen as a grizzled retiring Marine attorney, while Sam Jackson is given free reign to scream and shout both on and off the battlefield - but is somewhat less sure how to arrive at the conclusion it wants to leave us with. A forced attempt to cram an evil mastermind into the fray disagrees with the otherwise-universal theme that there is no black and white picture in a situation as difficult and politically charged as this one, and that's not the only scene that should have been shown the cutting room floor. Despite a few heated exchanges between Jones and the prosecuting attorney (a fiery turn by Guy Pearce), it's a great load of topical potential that never amounts to more than a weak fizzle and a sudden, puzzling jury decision.