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      Rules of Engagement

      R Released Mar 31, 2000 2 hr. 8 min. Drama List
      37% 100 Reviews Tomatometer 55% 25,000+ Ratings Audience Score Col. Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) is a 30-year Marine veteran: a decorated officer with combat experience in Vietnam, Beirut and Desert Storm -- a patriot, a hero. But now, the country he served so well has put him on trial for a rescue mission that went terribly wrong. For his attorney, he has chosen Marine Col. Hays Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones), a comrade-in-arms who owes his life to Childers. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 01 Buy Now

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      Rules of Engagement

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      Critics Consensus

      The script is unconvincing and the courtroom action is unegaging.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Liane C Excellent movie and cast.Very intense.Samuel L Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones were a great team in this movie.So tragic to see what its like to have ones own country and military that they honorably serve and protect, turn on them in the face of corrupt politics and leave their fellow marine "out to dry". Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/23 Full Review Tactical G I loved this show. It was like a demented version of Friends.. super funny and when they added the Timmy character it got even funnier. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Steve D Aggressively average. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review eric y An underappreciated war/law movie. Great acting, good script and well directed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review red t It was disappointingly average. The acting is the best part of this. It's solid overall. Jackson & Jones have solid chemistry and are likeable. Guy Pearce is the standout though giving a very good performance. The Supporting Cast is decent but generic. The cinematography has its moments (The exchange between Jackson/Pearce on the stand was really well done) but is for the most part very basic and uninspired at times overall being ok. The music in this overall is bad not because the music itself is (really its generic and forgettable) but because its so weird how little its used in this besides the opening and closing scene. It makes things feel very dry and really was confusing to me why more wasn't use to give scenes more feeling. The Editing in this is not good. There are scenes in the first half that should've been cut, some flashback scenes that are out of place. Everything is else is just ok. And this makes the pacing never develop tension or investment to see what happens because of the poor execution in music, editing, uninspired camerawork and mediocre pacing. This should have been made as a Courtroom thriller rather than show what happened they should have cut the Vietnam scenes and the fight at the embassy. Instead we should let our imaginations piece together the crime as we slowly figure out what happens. this would've worked much better instead though we have a generic war/courtroom drama that is forgettable. This honestly should be remade with the changes listed above. If your not a fan of Jackson, Jones or Pearce than skip this. It's ok but there isn't enough war or compelling court drama for fans of either genre to appreciate. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Nawt W These Yemeni children have been vicious terrorists for quite a long time, huh? But the mighty United States has kept them in check for decades by droning the hell out of them. Keeping Yemen safe and not a failed Middle Eastern state on a pile of other failed states where the Americans bravely intervened. Let's get down to brass tacks. I loathe all the assessments and the plot of this film. Yet as a courtroom drama with great actors and direction, it sure succeeds.  First of all, any notion that this is some moral debate goes right out the window. Childers is completely justified in his actions. Period. The drama is that Washington wigs don't want Childers to gun down the children because politicians are evil, they hide the truth, and they have never been in the field, so they know nothing about how you should kill terrorists. Are you anti-American, Department of State?  It's a farce. Why did weapons completely disappear the moment shooting stopped? Why could no other marines even see the supposed dozen upon dozen of guns among the dead? Don't think about it. You just haven't tasted the gunpowder, like Childers, boy. He is protecting the American flag. Who are you to judge the great peacekeepers? Let's all collectively pretend that nothing like that ever happened in reality ever since. Okay? Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/10/22 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Rules of Engagement

      Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Rescue Mission Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Rescue Mission 3:00 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Ambassador's Testimony Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Ambassador's Testimony 2:40 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Hodges Fights Childers Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Hodges Fights Childers 3:00 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Binh Le Cao’s Testimony Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Binh Le Cao’s Testimony 2:26 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Saving the Ambassador's Family Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Saving the Ambassador's Family 2:58 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - "Waste the Motherf***ers" Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - "Waste the Motherf***ers" 2:45 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Rules of Engagement Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Rules of Engagement 2:07 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Verdict Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - The Verdict 2:48 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Threatening P.O.W.s Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Threatening P.O.W.s 2:59 Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Killing Civilians Rules of Engagement: Official Clip - Killing Civilians 2:55 View more videos

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      Rules of Engagement

      Col. Hayes Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) travels to Yemen to investigate whathappened in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Guy Pearce is Maj. Mark Biggs, a prosecutor for the military in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Hayes Hodges and Samuel L. Jackson as Col. Terry Childers in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Director William Friedkin and Samuel L. Jackson on the set of Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Samuel L. Jackson as Col. Terry Childers and Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Hayes Hodges in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Hayes Hodges and Samuel L. Jackson as Col. Terry Childers in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Samuel L. Jackson as Col. Terry Childers and Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Hayes Hodges in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Samuel L. Jackson as Col. Terry Childers in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Anne Archer as Ambassador Mourain's wife and Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Hayes Hodges in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Guy Pearce and director William Friedkin on the set of Paramount's Rules Of Engagement View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      Globe and Mail Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel This movie is a blunt object -- blunt, but not particularly effective. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Steven Rosen Denver Post Jones and Jackson in uniform absolutely command our respect. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Peter Sobczynski The Spool Stephen Gaghan’s screenplay...huffs and puffs but never really gets anywhere.  Oct 5, 2023 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...an often exceedingly deliberate drama that does, at a running time of just over two hours, feel substantially longer than necessary... Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 5, 2022 Full Review Tony Black Cultural Conversation A military drama scared to face its demons. Rated: 3/5 Feb 16, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Col. Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) is a 30-year Marine veteran: a decorated officer with combat experience in Vietnam, Beirut and Desert Storm -- a patriot, a hero. But now, the country he served so well has put him on trial for a rescue mission that went terribly wrong. For his attorney, he has chosen Marine Col. Hays Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones), a comrade-in-arms who owes his life to Childers.
      Director
      William Friedkin
      Executive Producer
      Adam Schroeder, James Webb
      Screenwriter
      James Webb, Stephen Gaghan
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Production Co
      Paramount Pictures, Roe Productions KG, Seven Arts Pictures
      Rating
      R (Violence|Language)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 31, 2000, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 1, 2011
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $61.3M
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)
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