Review of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) by Yes%20 S — 06 Dec 2017

What's so secret, about the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi?

13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, is an action packed, guns blazing, leave you on the edge of your seat movie. The film is directed by one of the best men to show you as much action as he possibly can in one short seen, Michael Bay (Director of Transformers.) Who is widely known for large explosions, non-stop action, and special effects that will have you feeling that you are in the movie yourself. With the controversy of the events depicted in this film, Bay does not point any fingers at anyone, or give blame. It provides the perspective of the people that were there in Benghazi, fighting their attackers, and trying to stay alive as all hell rains down on them.

13 Hours is the story of the two attacks by Islamic militants, Ansar al-Sharia on the two United States Government Outposts in Benghazi and Libya. It depicts the effects it has mainly on a six-man team of Ex-soldiers, now Contractors working for the C.I.A in an unknown compound. The first half of the movie provides little background information of previous events, as well as little to no information on the characters in the movie, other than Jack (John Krasinkski) who is more commonly known for his comedy act in the popular Television show "The Office." The other main soldier characters, Rone (James Badge Dale), Tanto (Pablo Schreiber), Boon (Dave Denman), Tig (Dominic Fomusa), and Oz (Max Martini), seemingly all mesh together to almost be the same person, the Ex-millitary now contractor, who is paid help for the Government, and are just trying to survive until they can go home to the families they left behind.

The thing I found most interesting about this movie is in the title itself, "Secret Soldiers." Is the movie trying to show everyone that there are heroes in this world that protect others from harm and danger, and we don't even know who they are or what they are doing? Is this movie trying to show that hired contractors that work for a salary, are replacing our armed forces? Only 1 percent of the entire American population serves in the United States Millitary, and this movie is showing us who is out there doing it instead. But instead of showing us another Blackgate incident, its showing us those that fight for the right.

Through all the blood, empty shells lying on the cement floor, and large explosions coming from all over you can't tell what's happening, emotion comes if it hasn't before of empathy towards those that were involved. From those that lost their life's, and will never be able to go home and raise their newly born son, just as specific scenes like when mortars are raining down from above onto the rooftops killing the beloved Tanto, and damning his future of ever seeing his neborn son again, to those that were just paid by the C.I.A for analysis, 13 Hours shows a non-political way of a war movie. And in the end even showing scenes of Libyans who had lost their loved ones, weeping, and mourning their loss, saying "This is not what Islam is about," and "Sorry America." 13 hours is an interesting take on those "Independent Contractors," and the story that follows them.