During an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos. Libya, 2012. At an unofficial CIA base in Benghazi a group of ex-military contractors are providing security. In the aftermath of Gaddafi's downfall a power vacuum exists and the climate is volatile. Military weapons are freely available. The US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, makes a visit to the area, staying in a compound near the CIA base. On the night of 11 September, 2012, the Ambassador's compound is attacked by hordes of heavily armed locals. The only forces willing and able to defend it are six CIA contractors. Another CIA-Pentagon big budget propaganda for the masses peppered with nice shooting scenes. <br/><br/>The 'true story' it's never to close to reality. No mention of the US coup d'etat in Libya? No mention of the US sponsored and exported terrorism? The CIA guys come out with the funniest names for their 'moderates' :ISIS like the goddess :)<br/><br/>Credits for the precision aiming…Turkey shoot stile when fighting arabs. The brains on those 'zombies'… use the BIG weapon first :))<br/><br/>'Cui bono' it's a thing all Americans should ask themselves. Why the necessity of doing 9/11? Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and now Syria. Ohh, lets not forget Ukraine. 6 countries in 15 years, quite an expansion, ROME would be envious.<br/><br/>'Retired from the CIA' -with a big fat pension off course , not out of protest :) There isn't a ton of depth here, since it is essentially about a single day-in-the-life (and death) of a group of people serving their country. What is most impressive is what Michael Bay does and doesn't do with it.<br/><br/>Unlike most of his other movies involving the military, this time Bay leaves the eye-rolling patriotism out and just tells a story with some of his most understated visuals, granted, there is still overuse of shining light into the camera, making a few scenes, that should have felt genuinely dramatic, too stylized.<br/><br/>It's not without other problems, like the moments when Bay just HAS TO add Hollywood explosions where realistic ones would have made the movie feel even more powerful, but it's surprisingly without preachy political BS.<br/><br/>I think what hurts this movie is that it is called "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" because while I'm sure the word "Benghazi" definitely draws in the usual crowd to the movie, it also likely drives some away.<br/><br/>To sum up: <br/><br/>A solid movie about terrible things happening to people serving in a dangerous place. It is not a political movie demonstrating evidence that your least favorite side purposely tried to destroy the country you and they claim to love. And if less sentimental in spots, could have even been an 8 out of 10. Of course, when the action gets underway, Bay unleashes that flashy id of his, and all of his flaws as a titan of blockbuster filmmaking come to the fore.
Georgosmo replied
295 weeks ago