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Following his tour in Iraq, Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) is thrilled to be back in Texas until he discovers the military has "stop-lossed" him, meaning that because of insufficient numbers he's ordered to ship out again. Thinking a friendly senator may be able to pull some strings, Brandon hits the road with his best pal's fiance Michelle (Abbie Cornish), who's only going because she's vaguely afraid of her man Steven (Channing Tatum) being stop-lossed too. Meanwhile at home, Steven looks after Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who's struggling to re-adjust to life at home.

Big question: Can "Stop-Loss" make a bigger impact than last year's Iraq-related box-office flops ("Rendition," "Lions for Lambs," "In the Valley of Elah")?

Skip it: Stop-loss is a policy dripping with controversy that deserves a complete examination, but "Stop-Loss" just provides a one-sided account covered with an MTV-style coating. It's never really clear why Michelle tags along with Brandon--except to create tension between him and Steven--or why the characters seem so unfamiliar with the concept of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's a subject covered better in "Elah" and less essential to explore here than the question of when those who feel a duty to fight have a right to choose not to.

Catch it: For the obvious intent of Brandon's superior (Timothy Olyphant) instructing him to "Sign 'em up, sergeant," before Brandon addresses the adoring crowd in his hometown. It's almost as transparent as Eyeball (Rob Brown) defending a potentially illegal tryst by claiming, "She said she was 18."

Bottom line: Director/co-writer Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry") establishes a stronger sense of place in Iraq than in Texas, and Phillippe convinces throughout even if Tatum and Gordon-Levitt seem uncharacteristically lost. If only "Stop-Loss" actually focused on the concept of stop-loss, it would become more than an occasionally moving look at the times when soldiers are both scared to leave home and scared to stay.

Bonus: Distraught when his new bride leaves him, Tommy uses his wedding gifts as target practice only to regret it later. Does that mean Crate and Barrel won't believe an item was delivered with a bullet hole already in it?

What do you think of 'Stop-Loss'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com

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