Rules Of Engagement - Moviebodega

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT



William Friedkin

Stephen Gaghan (story by James Webb)

R

Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones, Guy Pearce, Bruce Greenwood, Blair Underwood, Philip Baker Hall, Nicky Katt, Anne Archer, and Ben Kingsley

Since the plot is hardly original, the characters wafer-thin, and the screenplay often numbingly simplistic, the greatest surprise in RULES OF ENGAGEMENT is that it manages to succeed in entertaining its audience. Credit the magnetic star power of its co-stars, Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, for the assist. Their textured performances are the foundation that supports this well-told version of an oft-told tale.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT avoids the pitfalls of courtroom drama by beginning way, way, way outside of the courtroom -- in the jungles of Vietnam. Two Marine platoon commanders, Terry Childers (Jackson) and Hayes Hodges (Jones) narrowly escape an ambush by Vietnamese soliders, with all of Hodges' men killed and Hodges himself wounded.

Twenty-eight years later, Hodges is retiring from a career as a Marine lawyer, while Childers, a decorated soldier, is asked to lead an evacuation of the embassy in Yemen. What is supposed to be a routine mission goes very, very wrong, resulting in over eighty civilians killed and an international incident.

To save face, a corrupt National Security Advisor, William Sokal (Bruce Greenwood) decides to courtmartial Childers for murdering the civilians. He gets a hotshot young prosecutor, Major Mark Biggs (Guy Pearce), to handle the proceedings. Childers, who feels he has done nothing wrong, turns to his old friend Hodges to represent him. The stage is set for an impressive battle about the nature of wartime conduct and what it means to be a soldier.

Under William Friedkin's swift and dynamic direction, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT rushes along like a frieght train. For the most part, the speed works, moving through exposition and a mountain of plot particulars in record time. The complexities of the film's central issue, military conduct, however, require a deeper exploration than this pace allows; the elements that make RULES OF ENGAGEMENT a spirited potboiler/action flick damages its credibility and its intelligence. Any list of great military films - APOCALYPSE NOW, PATTON, PLATOON, A FEW GOOD MEN, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - shows that armed action must go hand in hand with a deeper understanding of the forces involved. Don't expect this picture to join the list.

Jackson and Jones, however, offer a chest-thumping set of performances, working each scene like a professional tag team. Whether under fire in Vietnam, arguing over court strategy, or fighting in a drunken stupor, these two performers create a relationship that is as familiar and comforting as a pair of favorite shoes. Hodges and Childers are warriors of a different age, a vivid reminder that honor, dignity, respect, and courage are in short supply these days.

A spectacular supporting cast is on hand to elevate the material. As a nefarious NSA, Greenwood is even better than his villainous turn in DOUBLE JEOPARDY; Guy Pearce, likewise, improves upon the headstrong hotshot he first attempted in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL. Ben Kingsley, as a careerist Ambassador, and Anne Archer as his wife, bring much needed heft and support to the leading characters.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT won't win any awards, but it's nevertheless an enjoyable matinee experience. Considering the general downward spiral in quality movies at your local megaplex, perhaps we should all take comfort in such a solid, if uninspired, effort.

Gabriel Shanks - moviebodega@mindspring.com

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