DIRECTOR
William Friedkin

WRITER(S)
Stephen Gaghan

CAST
Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Guy Pearce, Bruce Greenwood, Blair Underwood, Philip Baker Hall, Anne Archer, Ben Kinglsey

MPAA RATING
R

RUNNING TIME
127 Minutes

STUDIO
Paramount

Samuel L. Jackson has been court marshalled by the US Govt. in connection with an open fire on Yemen civilians. Only Jackson knows that they had weapons, which erases their title as civilians. Therefore, he was allowed to order his troops to shoot back at the crowd. So it's up to his longtime friend (Jones) to defend him and get him off the hook.

We get treated to a few flashbacks and some semi-dramatic scenes, but you've seen this before and it's been done better. This is still an entertaining movie, despite its numerous flaws. You have a first rate cast with Jackson, Jones, and Guy Pearce, though it looked as if he needed to point his chin away from the camera.

The combat scenes, though choppy, provides the spark in the film. They'r pretty realistic, although they're too bloody. Steven Spielberg showed the gore in "Saving Private Ryan" because he needed too; Friedkin does it because he wants too.

The courtroom scenes just feel hollow, like they've left out a big chunk of information. All the feeling you'll get from this is Jones and Pearce casually looking interested in what they have to say.

It's these types of flaws that make this movie only above average, instead of good.