13 hours: the secret soldiers of benghazi

It's no secret...Michael Bay has finally made a decent film!

2016 review number 39:

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi: (Action/Drama/Thriller): 69 out of 100: Michael Bay is a name synonymous with the Transformers series, resulting in loud, overlong and meaningless films that are cash cows at the box office. He loves his explosions and he's at it again with his adaptation of an incident that occurred in 2012. This time around though, the use of pyrotechnics is justified in demonstrating the attack of the US Embassy and nearby compounds by Libyan extremists. It's not the perfect movie but sure beats most of Bay's offerings so it might be considered perfect when compared to other films in his filmography!

 

As the title suggests, the movie takes place over the course of 13 hours on September 11 and 12, 2012. The audience is introduced to the characters, a team of military contractors working for the CIA including Jack (John Krasinski), Rone (James Badge Dale), Tanto (Pablo Schreiber), Boon (Dave Denman), Tig (Dominic Fumusa), and Oz (Max Martini). When American ambassador Chris Stevens (Matt Letscher) is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound, the soldiers must defend the second compound as it comes under attack from Libyan militants. 

 

When you see a Michael Bay film, don't expect excellent characterisations. All the soldiers seem similar with only Jack standing out from the rest. It's a gung-ho, chaotic film which actually suits the purpose of delivering its message of warfare in Libya. The action sequences are much better than the attempted character development as the dialogue doesn't really help in differentiating between the characters. 

 

If you are familiar with Bay's films then you'll know what to expect. Jingoistic pride is at the forefront of this film so if you are against American patriotism then you will be cringing at some of the flag-waving moments. There's also the obligatory Bay slow motion scenes along with flashy edits to contend with. Bay's regular composer, Hans Zimmer, has constructed a score which is overwrought in emotions. If you can overlook these deficiencies, then this movie is actually a solid interpretation of the events that took place in 2012. 

 

All the actors display the appropriate emotions ranging from the anxiety and confusion of being attacked by the extremists to the courage and tenacity of defending the compound. Krasinski is the only actor of note but that's not to say that the other actors are incompetent, for they contribute well to the drama unfolding. They do their best with the average dialogue they are given. It's the technical aspects for which the film will be remembered including the superior sound effects especially when there's gunfire and explosions. The cinematography also enhances the film, making full use of the filming locations of Malta and Morocco. 

 

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is worth seeing if you are a proponent of American war history. Even if you aren't a supporter, this offers nearly two and a half hours of entertaining action with enough thrilling moments to ensure that you won't be bored while seeing it.   

 

Starring John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Pablo Schreiber and David Denman

(144 mins)

Parental advice: Violence and coarse language

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGl2flB0Idk (Movie trailer)

 

(Reviewed on Thursday 3rd March, 2016)

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