Rules of Engagement

Rules of Engagement centres on Colonel Terry Childers, a decorated Marine whose long career is called into question after a rescue mission at the American embassy in Yemen ends with him ordering his men to open fire on a crowd of demonstrators. Accused of killing civilians and of breaking the rules governing when an American soldier may use force, Childers faces a court-martial. For his defence he turns to Colonel Hays Hodges, a military lawyer and old comrade whose life Childers saved in Vietnam. Hodges takes the case despite doubts about both his own abilities and the man he is defending.

The film was directed by William Friedkin, the twelfth of the sixteen features he made in chronological order, following 12 Angry Men and preceding The Hunted. Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay, and Richard D. Zanuck and Scott Rudin produced. Tommy Lee Jones plays Hodges and Samuel L. Jackson plays Childers, with Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Greenwood and Anne Archer in supporting roles.

Released in April 2000, the film runs 127 minutes and was made for about 60 million US dollars, returning roughly 71 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from nearly 50,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.2 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 5 out of 10 from 100 reviews places it below both audience scores.