Disc Reviews

Rules Of Engagement Blu-ray Review

1st Oct 2015

William Freidken adapts this novel for the screen placing Sam, Jackson and Tommy lee Jones – two powerhouse actors of their generation together on screen. But instead of going mano e mano, the two are teamed.

Terry Childers (Jackson) is involved in the evacuation of a US Embassy in Yemen, and his command are ultimately responsible for the deaths of a large group of what may be a civilians when they find themselves under fire.

A court martial is sought after and Childers turns to his old Veteran buddy/lawyer Colonel Hodges (Jones) to act as his fence attorney.

This then turns into a fairly straight forward courtroom drama where the odds are against our protagonist and along the way various faces take the stand to provide insightful drama, or course correcting tension amid the case. It’s something that fans of court room drama’s have seen dozens of times before. And this is the big problem with the film is that it is nothing new.

Guy Pearce, Bruce Green wood put in decent supporting roles. Again nothing that’s going to stand out on their resume, but certainly not hurting them either.

Rules of Engagement is a perfectly rounded piece of dramatic entertainment from a large host of talent, and yet it nowhere near involves the best work by anyone. Everyone involved has done better work elsewhere. To be fair they have all faired much worse as well, which leaves Rules Of Engagment sitting in the middle somewhere, and perhaps a little forgotten.

There is some supplementary material on the disc, including a commentary from the director which does add buy value to the disc, and certainly if you like tense court room dramas then this is a good buy.