Rules of Engagement

Marine Childers (Jackson) is assigned the task of rescuing an ambassador and his family from a hostile area in Yemen. The mission goes terribly wrong and an order is given by Childers, resulting in the death of 83 Yemeni women and children. To keep the US from suffering any terrorist backlash, Childers is charged with mass murder. Effective courtroom drama (which spares us the cliched surprise witness), although it merely grazes the complex issues of military decision-making due to its skeletal script. Intensity and momentum is sustained by the towering performances of leads Jackson and Jones as Childers's buddy and lawyer. After two weeks as box-office leader, film received some protest over its negative portrayal of Arab-Americans. Based on a story by ex-Secretary of the Navy James Webb.