Review of Rules of Engagement (2000) by Nate Z — 23 Feb 2006

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones are old war pals who took seperate paths after a cataclysmic ambush in Vietnam. Jackson went on to a prestigous career in combat but Jones was restricted to desk jobs the rest of his tenure. It appears Arabs are at their old tricks again, being that without Nazis or Communists they are Hollywood's favorite misrepresented bad guys. Jackson gets dispatched to protect a US embassy besieged by protests. During the meelee of confusion Jackson orders fire on the crowds outside. Now he has to face the ramifications which include murder charges and a tangled web of conspriacy.[/color][/font].

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Jackson gives an electric performance as the Marine Captain full of sound and fury. Jones and Jackson exhibit great chemistry together under William Friedkin's deft hand. Friedkin, known for classics like 'The Fench Connection' and 'The Exorcist', whose last pic was the Caruso stinker 'Jade', has crafted exciting sequences of action and suspense. The problem is they all happen early and the film undwinds and unspools as it continues.[/color][/font].

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Bruce Greenwood seems to be making a career out of beguiling Jones. In last fall's 'Double Jeopardy' he was a slimy not-so-dead hubby, and in 'Rules' he's a slimy National Security advisor. These two look like they'll be the Ben and Matt of the over fourty crowd.[/color][/font].

[font=Arial][color=darkred]'Rules of Engagement' is a coutroom action/drama that plays closely to the rules established but coasts on terrfic performances from its leads and some dynamite action sequences. But eventually the weight of the plot drags 'Rules' from the potential it flashed.[/color][/font].

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: B- [/color][/font].