Perennial slacker and altogether oddball Bones Conway (Pauly Shore) convinces his friend Jack (Andy Dick) that the solution to their problems is to sign up for the Army Reserves.  Insert the usual comedic-basic training routine here, where they meet up with fellow water-purifiers Christine (Lori Petty) and dentist Fred (David Alan Grier)...and then they return to the real world....

...and are subsequently called up to a mythical conflict between the African nations of Chad and Libya.  Thrown into the mess over there, their convoy is attacked while they struggle to fix a flat on their truck, and proceed to get lost in the desert, captured by Libyans, escape by providence, and have to execute the mission that the special forces couldn't complete.

If only to prove in typical hollywood fashion that the slackers can actually get the job done.  Lauded as heroes, they return to civilization to start the store they dreamed of, complete with camel in tow.

Now, I know what you're thinking, he likes it??  Yeah.  Despite Pauly Shore.  Really, he leaves a lot of his MTV schtick behind in this one, with it only making a few well-timed and not too inappropriate appearances.  This isn't Encino Man, Bio Dome, or Son-in-Law.  Hate to say it, but he's actually not bad here.  The supporting cast does a fine job of doing just that, as well.

You also have to give kudos for trying to fill in a gap that really went unfilled for the most part, trying to pay some sort of homage to the veterans of Desert Storm (this is '94 remember) without making it too cornball.  I think they managed to do that well, what with the reserves angle and all.  The settings and equipment really lend an air of authenticity to it.  For a low-budget comedy, I was fairly impressed by that aspect.

If you've never seen In The Army Now, (probably because you hate Shore!) then just overcome it and take a look.  You'll probably be quite surprised.  Here's a trailer, looks like from TV.  Couldn't find any cliips of decent quality for some reason.  Does nobody but me like this picture?!

And yeah, I'm putting it under "Gulf War" movies, since we know that's what they were after....

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At the core of Rules of Engagement is the entire principle of the boundaries of war. In fact one of the characters spells it out quite clearly, "There's a thin line between a war hero and a murderer." Or something to that effect. Childers has to make the best decision he can, knowing full well the consequences. Which are plentiful.

There's also an entire subplot which never really resolves itself, namely the destruction of a security camera tape which would exonerate Childers. I kept expecting a copy of the tape to surface, or something which might put that plot-line into place, but it never happens. I suppose we're to take away that it didn't matter much in the first place. That Childers' years of meritorious service and lack of damning evidence prevails... Got me.

Of course the best thing about Rules of Engagement is quite frankly the chemistry between Jackson and Jones. Two superb actors who do not fail to impress, put them both together with an excellent director (William Friedkin) and the result is nothing short of impressive.

Consider also that Rules of Engagement comes out in 2000, and deals with issues facing our troops every day in a post 9/11 world. There are of course other concepts, such as the line that separates enemy from friend, and what actions we take. Particularly when the prosecution brings out an NVA officer from Childers' time in Vietnam.

Yeah, there's the entire politics and State Department cover-up angle... but again, it just doesn't play out quite like it should.

Ultimately, as you might guess, Childers gets out of the mess with nary a scratch. Well, except for a minor charge, just so he doesn't get off scott-free. But there's something less-than-satisfying about it. I was like, "What? That's it?" I fully expected more to come of the above video tape plot, more from the ambassador's wife, etc. etc. Those little things that are brought up and then forgotten. Sure they get a mention in the 'After the movie...' ending plates (personally I don't like them....) but that doesn't much count.

Those little nitpicks don't prevent me from giving Rules of Engagement some high marks. Not solely on the skill of Jackson's and Jones' acting, but the entire package, even with the above problems.

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Rules of Engagement List Price: $8.99 Sale Price: $3.27 You save: $5.72 (64%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Facing a court martial after the peacekeeping mission he led in Yemen ends in disaster, Col. Terry Childers turns to Hays Hodges, a lawyer whose life he saved in Vietnam.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: RRelease Date: 28-MAR-2006Media Type: DVD

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Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: JONES,TOMMY LEE
Manufacturer: Paramount
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Anne Archer
• Kim Delaney
• Bruce Greenwood
• Philip Baker Hall
• Samuel L. Jackson

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Somewhat a re-telling of the Kelly's Heroes story, it follows four soldiers in their quest to steal some Kuwaiti gold bricks out of the hands of Saddam's army, *after* the war is over.  Unlike with Kelly's bunch, though, things go terribly, terribly awry in a surreal series of events that wind up telling more of the story that needs to be told more often.

Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) catches wind of the map that Sgt. Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), and Pfc. Vig (Spike Jonze) find in a surrendering Iraqi's, um, backside.  Once they figure out what they've got, they set out on their quest in true '90s style.

But, like I said, things don't go as planned, as they wind up covered in the blood of a wandering cow that steps on some unexploded ordnance before capturing the gold.  The Iraqi's on site are only willing to get the Americans out of their hair, so they can deal with the "rebel" problem.  And that's where things start to go south.

They wind up taking a group of (presumably) Shiite civilians with them, and in the escape, Barlow is taken prisoner by the Iraqis.  The other three are forced to strike a deal to get the civilians to an Iranian border crossing, and along the way rescue Barlow.

What makes Three Kings so unique I think is the somewhat surreal style that permeates the first half or so of the film.  The washed out colors of the desert are over exaggerated, and it really puts you in a wasteland frame of mind.  Not until later in the film do the images take on a more traditional tone.

More importantly, the movie makes a bold statement about the failure of the first Gulf War to serve the Iraqi people's interest.  Once Iraq was driven from Kuwait, the US basically said, "OK, bye!" and left the opposition on their own, and they were subsequently put down, men, women and children alike.  Not until we went back did this story really come to light (as I recall it) and for this film in '99 to bring it up was pretty daring in my opinion.

There's lots of elements of the film which make this more of a picture of the Gulf War than say, Jarhead, too.  The Iraqi bunkers full of junk like computer monitors, stereos, boomboxes, and luxury cars.  The shallow journalist looking for the story, and having to be "handled" by the Army.  The scene with Barlow and the cell-phone is especially one of those bits which is pretty damned funny when you think about it.

Clooney, "Cube", Wahlberg, and Jonze... the chemistry between the four, and the type of characters they portray really works in the film's favor as well.  It just "works" to use a dumb movie reviewer phrase.  There just isn't any other way to explain it.

About one-third comedy, one-third war movie, and one-third political statement, Three Kings is still a little surreal and strange for a lot of folks.  I really like this movie, though, for reasons I just can't put my finger on.

Technorati Tags: war movie review, three kings, 1999, gulf war, 1991, iraq, gold, george clooney, mark wahlberg, ice cube, spike jonze

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Three Kings (Snap Case Packaging) List Price: $1.83 Sale Price: $1.79 You save: $0.04 (2%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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DVD.

A confident hybrid of M*A*S*H, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, Three Kings is one of the most seriously funny war movies ever made. Improving the premise of Kelly's Heroes with scathing intelligence, it explores the odd connection between war and consumerism in the age of Humvees and cellular phones. Writer-director David O. Russell's third film (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster), it's a no-holds-barred portrait of personal conscience in the volatile arena of politics, played out by one of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army. Getting the bullion out of an Iraqi stronghold is easy; keeping it is a potentially lethal proposition. By the end of their mercenary mission, the Americans can no longer ignore wartime atrocities (and neither can we--the film is boldly unflinching), and conscience demands their aid to Iraqi rebels abandoned by President George Bush's fickle wartime policy. This is serious stuff indeed, but Russell infuses Three Kings with a keen sense of the absurd, and the entire film is an exercise in breathtaking visual ingenuity. Despite a conventional ending that's mildly disappointing for such a brashly original film, Three Kings conveys the brutal madness of war while making you laugh out loud at the insanity. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: Warner
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• George Clooney
• Mark Wahlberg
• Ice Cube
• Spike Jonze
• Cliff Curtis

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• TESTED OK
• 2000 DATE

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Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. They go to boot camp, "hurry up and wait", march through some friendly fire and the burning oil fields, *almost* get to take a shot but are cut short by an overriding air strike...  No-thing!

Is that the point of this picture?  I think in a way it is.  At the end I might've had a glimpse into the meaning of it all, when the Vietnam vet jumps on the bus and welcomes them all home, and sits down with them....   I guess to say that no matter what the experiences a war might put a person through, be it the beaches of some Pacific island, the jungles of Vietnam, or a short stint in a burning, oily desert with nary a shot fired... those experiences are all equally valid, take the same (to a degree) toll on the person, and should be recognized, honored, and remembered.

OK, I'll give you that.  Point taken, but geez, could something have happened along the way?   The almost Full Metal Jacket copycat first half in boot camp was a bit much to swallow, there were just too many similarities to ignore, and then later with the "this is my new best friend" bit in the desert.  Then there's the portrayal of the guys of my generation as a group of partying idiotic morons who want nothing else but simply to kill someone.  Gung Ho is one thing, but really.

I can't say much else, really.  Something comes to mind about "if you can't say anything nice..."  So, you'll understand if I leave Jarhead with a dreadful three.  Just don't bother.

On another note, I really would like to see some more movies come out of the first Gulf War.  Other than the fair but bizarre "Three Kings", and sorta-kinda the 2004 remake of "The Manchurian Candidate"... oh and "In The Army Now" with Pauly Shore....   I'm reaching to come up with any more titles.  Fill me in if I'm missing anything.

Oh, I almost forgot... and Jarhead stars Jake Gyllenahall as our "hero" Anthony Swofford, some other guys I can't say I've heard of (but play idiots and rednecks rather well), and Jamie Foxx as the flat Staff Sgt. Sykes.

Technorati Tags: war movie reviews, jarhead, 2006, jake gyllenhaal, jamie foxx, gulf war, kuwait, iraq, 1991, marines, usmc

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Jarhead (Widescreen Edition) List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $2.64 You save: $7.35 (74%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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A gripping portrayal of a group of young jarheads during the explosive days of the gulf war. In the blazing desert heat these marines whove been trained to kill find themselves in a brutal situation fighting a war they dont understand. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/09/2008 Starring: Jamie Foxx Peter Sarsgaard Run time: 123 minutes Rating: R

Based on Anthony Swofford’s excellent memoir about his experiences as a Marine Sniper in Gulf War I, Jarhead is a war movie in which the waiting is a far greater factor upon the characters than the war itself, and the build up to combat is more drama than what combat is depicted. To some viewers hoping for typical movie action, this will seem like a cruel joke. But it’s not. It’s just the story as it was written, and if you liked the book, you will probably like the movie. If you didn’t, then the movie won’t change your mind. The movie follows the trajectory of Swofford (played with thoughtful intensity by Jake Gyllenhaal) from wayward Marine recruit (he joined because he "got lost on the way to college") to skilled Marine sniper, and on into the desert in preparation for the attack on Iraq. No-nonsense, Marine-for-life Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx), the man who recruited Swofford and his spotter Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) into the sniper team, leads them in training, and in waiting where their lives are dominated by endless tension, pointless exercises in absurdity (like playing football in the scorching heat of the desert in their gas masks so it will look better for the media’s TV cameras), more training, and constant anticipation of the moment to come when they’ll finally get to kill. When the war does come, it moves too fast for Swofford’s sniper team, and the one chance they get at a kill--to do the one thing they’ve trained so hard and waited so long for--eludes them, leaving them to wonder what was the point of all they had endured. As directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty), the movie remains very loyal to the language and vision of the book, but it doesn’t entirely work as the film needs something more than a literal translation to bring out its full potential. Mendes’s stark and, at times, apocalyptic visuals add a lot and strike the right tone: wide shots of inky-black oil raining down on the vast, empty desert from flaming oil wells contrasted with close-ups of crude-soaked faces struggling through the mire vividly bring to life the meaning of the tagline "welcome to the suck." But much of the second half of the movie will probably leave some viewers feeling disappointed in the cinematic experience, while others might appreciate its microcosmic depiction of modern chaos and aimlessness. Jarhead is one of those examples where the book is better than the movie, but not for lack of trying. --Dan Vancini

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: Universal
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Jamie Foxx
• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Peter Sarsgaard
• Lo Ming
• Lucas Black (II)

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