Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Rules of Engagement Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 16, 2024

William Friedkin's "Rules of Engagement" (2000) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by the director; behind the scenes featurette; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

William Friedkin made Rules of Engagement in 2000. Since then, every element of the story told in his film has been part of a true story reported by the media. The majority of these true stories, like the one about the Benghazi attack, are many times worse, too.

When jihadi snipers and violent protestors threaten to seize the American embassy in Yemen, Marine Colonel Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) is summoned and asked to lead an urgent rescue mission. Shortly after entering the embassy and while helping Ambassador Mourain (Ben Kingsley) and his family board a helicopter, Childers sees several of his men get shot and gives an order to engage the enemy. In the ensuing shootout, the jihadi snipers and numerous protestors, many of them women and children, are gunned down.

In Washington D.C., national security advisor Bill Sokal (Bruce Greenwood) instantly finds himself in the middle of a massive political crisis that has the potential to cripple America’s relationship with prominent Islamic state leaders. To appease them, Sokal destroys video evidence showing that the jihadi snipers were embedded among the protestors and requests that Childers is court-martialed for murdering innocent women and children. Major Biggs (Guy Pearce) a sharp, young pit bull, is asked to lead the prosecution team.

To defend his honor and help him avoid a death sentence, Childers chooses his best pal Colonel Hayes Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones), who is retired and spends most of his time fishing in the country. But it is not long before the two, both highly decorated Vietnam veterans, begin realizing that surviving in the jungle while being shot at by the communists was easier than dodging the attacks of fellow soldiers who have never been to war and exposing the lies of high-ranking government officials.

There are only a couple of things that Friedkin could have done better to ensure that Rules of Engagement is as authentic and convincing as possible.

Pearce visibly struggles with his character. He is too arrogant, occasionally looking like a pompous rookie who can barely wait for the inevitable, and the tone of his deliveries is problematic. This character should have exuded confidence but easily created the impression that he is a veteran insider who destroys careers and lives on demand. Before and after the legal proceedings, Pearce looks like an outsider wearing a military uniform.

The framing of Childers needs to be more complex and more substantive. Greenwood is the only one who appears to be directing its execution. In a case this big, with so many different residual effects, there would have been more prominent government officials involved.

But Rules of Engagement gets the poisonous culture that makes all of the drama in it possible right, and this is why it is still a very effective film. For example, there is a crucial sequence where Jones tells Jackson that the truth may not be enough for him to survive, which is very sad. Elsewhere, a member of Pearce’s team openly states that their goal is to destroy Jackson and send a message, not find out what happened at the embassy in Yemen. In recent years, countless true stories have revealed that this exact thinking, which is at the core of the poisonous culture mentioned above, is very prevalent in Washington D.C.

Jackson and Jones are excellent while dodging bullets and in Washington D.C. Dale Dyle is given limited time in front of the camera but is fantastic, too. Phillip Baker Hall plays Jones’ highly decorated father. Anne Archer is Kingsley’s wife, who chooses to lie too.

Friedkin shot the tense attack on the embassy in Morocco. The aerial footage, which reminds of the one seen in Black Hawk Down, is fantastic as well. His directors of photography were Oscar winner William A. Fraker and Nicola Pecorini.

Rules of Engagement Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rules of Engagement arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover struck from the original camera negative. The 4K makeover is also available on 4K Blu-ray. I viewed it in native 4K and then spent time with the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

I have nothing but great things to say about the work that the folks at Paramount did to prepare the 4K makeover. Simply put, Rules of Engagement looks incredibly now -- on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, too. I have a very old DVD release of this film and never felt the need to pull it out and do comparisons because the quality of the visuals that I was seeing on my system was fantastic. The jungle footage, the embassy footage, and the courtroom footage all looked equally great. Color balance is managed very well, too, so there are no anomalies or areas that could have been managed better. The entire film looks strikingly healthy as well. I mentioned in our review of the 4K Blu-ray release that the embassy footage might be a tad more attractive in native 4K, but the discrepancy is very, very small. If you can only play Blu-ray discs, you will be enormously pleased with the 1080p presentation. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rules of Engagement Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film in native 4K and then spent time with the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray.

The 5.1 track is incredibly potent, so I suspect that it will test the muscles of some audio systems. During the embassy attack, for instance, there are several segments that produce the type of dynamic intensity you would hear on the 4K Blu-ray release of Black Hawk Down. Mark Isham's score is very effective too. The dialog is crustal clear, always stable, and very easy to follow.

Rules of Engagement Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, William Friedkin discusses in great detail where and how different sections of Rules of Engagement were short. Also, Friedkin discusses his interactions with real marines, who told him that the events in film ook incredibly authentic, and comments on the smear campaign Terry Childers must endure.

• A Look Inside - in this archival program, William Friedkin reveals how Rules of Engagement came to exist, and several cast members discuss their involvement with the film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Behind the Scenes Featurette - in this archival program, William Friedkin and several cast members discuss nature of the drama that is portrayed in Rules of Engagement. Also included is plenty of raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Rules of Engagement. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Rules of Engagement Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In a situation like the one depicted in the beginning of William Friedkin's Rules of Engagement there is only one possible outcome, which is the only logical one, too. It is this simple. And yet, oddly, acknowledging the obvious is the reason why Rules of Engagement became a rather controversial film. As the drama flourishes, Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson give tremendous performances that should be considered some of their best work. Kino Lorber's release introduces a fabulous new 4K makeover prepared at Paramount. It is also available on 4K Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.