13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Dominic Fumusa

Directed by Michael Bay

The Story:
After overthrowing their tyrannical leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country of Libya has been listed as one of the most dangerous places in the world, due to civil unrest, and Benghazi is one of the most deadly towns.  Most countries pulled out their embassies from the town, except for the United States, who also has an undisclosed CIA outpost a mile away known as "The Annex," which is guarded by a group of former special ops known as the Global Response Staff.

New to the staff is former Navy SEAL Jack Da Silva (John Krasinski), who works close with his friend Tyrone Woods (James Badge Dale) as soon as he arrives.  In early September 2012, ambassador Chris Stevens (Matt Letscher) arrives in hopes to maintain diplomatic connections with the country, and much to the chagrin of the GRS, he wants to stay at the embassy, which is criminally underprotected.

On September 12, the embassy is attacked by a gang of militants, and they easily gain access into the compound.  Meanwhile, Tyrone, Jack, and the other GRS officers are at The Annex, and see and hear the attack happening.  After a few stand down orders, they choose to finally ignore them and travel to the embassy to help.

What follows is thirteen hours of hell on earth, as the American soldiers valiantly fight to defend the embassy and The Annex, resulting in the tragic deaths of four Americans.

The Synopsis:
The story of Benghazi has been a talking point for politics on both sides of the aisle.  Republicans blame President Obama and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for dropping the ball and allowing the deaths of the Americans to happen.  "13 Hours" doesn't really focus on the political aspect of the event, which I appreciated.  It's been so highly politicized that everyone seems to ignore that really happened, and the true cost paid by those who suffered and died that tragic night.

Thankfully, Michael Bay isn't known for his rousing rhetoric or even his compelling storytelling.  If this was in the hands of a more capable, more nuanced director, then this could've been a rallying point, or even a moving story in the guise of "Black Hawk Down."  Instead, since it was a Michael Bay film, all characterization, heart, and story has been brushed aside, instead replaced by lots of stuff blowing up, and an overly simplistic characterization of the main characters - the good guys are almost God-like in their abilities, actions, and manners; the bad guys are beyond evil; the bureaucrats are whiny, sniveling cowards.

Now I'm not saying the soldiers weren't heroic, far from it.  The real soldiers were time-tested warriors, unflinching in the eyes of almost certain death.  When lesser people run away, they ran toward the danger.  They're heroes, and heroes of the highest caliber.  They performed their duty for their love of country and love of one another.  There's no doubt they faced the evil that was in front of them and fought with everything they had.  This is the heart of the film, how a small band of soldiers were able to withstand continuous barrages of attacks.

Whenever I see a movie that says "based on a true story," I don't go into it thinking it would be a blow-by-blow, word-for-word account of what really happened, so I don't get mired in the small details.  I know movies embellish facts, adds different aspects to the story, and sometimes change small details, and I don't mind that.  I come to be entertained, not taught.

Still, the story was muddied with massive explosions, lots of gunfire, and little story.  You could hardly distinguish between the soldiers, and that drew me out of the film a little.  Knowing it was a true story - and the cost they paid - pulled me back in a very visceral, emotional way.  Just like "American Sniper" and "Lone Survivor" before it, "13 Hours" showed us the true cost of heroism, and the unstoppable power of the human spirit.

Finally, "13 Hours" gave us the rebirth of John Krasinski.  Better known for his goofy, offbeat character in the hit TV series "The Office," he was known as a comedian and someone you'd never expect to lead an intense action thriller.  He gives a commanding performance here, beefing up majorly for the role, and giving a sentimental, emotional performance that shows his true depth of range, and hopefully he'll be cast in more action films in the future.

The Summary:
In the hands of a better director, this could've balanced some emotional depth as well as action, but since it was Michael Bay, the story was set aside for more blasts and explosions.

The Score: A-