Rules of Engagement

Remember the scene in Joel Schumacher's A Time To Kill, when righteously indignant defendant Samuel L. Jackson got right in Kevin Spacey's face and yelled "Yes I killed them, and I hope they burn in hell!"? Rules director William Friedkin is either hoping you don't, or assuming that you liked it so much the first time you'll want to see it again, this time with Jackson in a military uniform, and an ever-so-slight dialogue change ("Yes they had weapons, they were killing my marines!"). That's the scene that basically sets the tone for Rules of Engagement, a military courtroom drama which spotlights Jackson and costar Tommy Lee Jones yelling at each other and everyone else, interspersed with a few violently gory combat scenes that set the stage. Most of the tension is defused early on, when a piece of evidence exonerating Jackson is clearly shown even before the trial begins, so all that remains is to go through the traditional paces, up until the wholly unbelievable climax. While a couple of worthy issues are occasionally brought to the fore (Is it okay to execute an innocent man if doing so will save lives? Is maiming a child acceptable if said child is shooting at you?), they're quickly steamrollered by much flag-waving and saluting, combined with ample overt anti-Arab sentiment. It'd be a stretch to imagine any movie starring both Jones and Jackson that isn't entertaining, but the brief combat vignettes will make you wish they'd collaborated on an all-out war movie instead.