rule of engagement fit comfortably into that genre of military film in which the motivation inherant in the human character be subvert for the motivates of the the united state marine . assinine personal decision can just be toss off a be part of the code . unlike a few good men and still the best of it kind and rule of engagement fall flat because even a none of the character action make sense and nothing be surprising either and and that be the big sin of all . this be all unfortunate and since rule of engagement be make by a lot of people who should know good . or who at least once knew well . the recent rerelease of the exorcist and a repeat viewing of the french connection contrast with this film can only lead viewer to a simple conclusion represent at one point william friedkin be a master of his craft and know how to tell a compelling story with a unique visual style . he can not do that anymore . it shock just how dull the early scene in vietnam and yemen feel . there no tension and at a certain point you just want the character to move on . friedkin isn not help by the fact that usually reliable cinematographer william fraker ( a five time oscar nominee ) have give the film a murky look and often mislighting actor and unless the purpose be to make everybody look bruise . when all be say and do and only tommy lee jones and samuel l. jackson be give fully developed character . even though theyre often force to say stupid thing ( out of nowhere jackson have an overly expositional insult about jones alcoholism and a problem that hadn not be mention previously and be never relevant afterwards ) and these actor be always reliable . the film other interesting performance come from guy pearce and whose american accent be frequently preposterous and but unlike la confidential ( where pearce give a fuller overall performance ) and the accent remain mostly consistant throughout . the film other actor be strand without resolution for their character . ben kingsley and anne archer and a the weak yemeni ambassador and his wife and be leave stranded . ditto bruce greenwood ( so consistantly excellent a wounded hero in atom egoyan film and and so badly waste a one dimensional heavy in american movie ) and whose narrative arc involve a videotape be woefully without payoff . in the end and rule of the game offer nothing new and and nothing surprising . the solid acting by the lead fit into this rubric of normality and but a do the absolute apathy the film produce . i give it a 4/10 .