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Rules of Engagement

Play trailer Poster for Rules of Engagement R Released Mar 31, 2000 2h 8m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
37% Tomatometer 100 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
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.
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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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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

Audience Reviews

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Mary S The epilogue lacks details of how the authorities caught Sokal. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews
Rules of Engagement

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Cast & Crew

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William Friedkin

Director

Tommy Lee Jones

Colonel Hayes Hodges

Samuel L. Jackson

Colonel Terry L. Childers

Guy Pearce

Major Mark Biggs

Bruce Greenwood

National Security Advisor William Sokal

Blair Underwood

Captain Lee

Movie Clips

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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

Guy Pearce is Maj. Mark Biggs, a prosecutor for the military 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 The country of Morocco was used as a stand-in for Yemen in Paramount's Rules Of Engagement Col. Hayes Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) travels to Yemen to investigate whathappened 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 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 View more photos

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
Producer
Scott Rudin, Richard D. Zanuck
Screenwriter
James Webb, Stephen Gaghan
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Seven Arts Pictures, Roe Productions KG
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
Runtime
2h 8m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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