Director Michael Bay has always been known as a filmmaker who seems to care much more about filling the screen with enough explosions and special effects to rival anyone else and the results have always been mind-numbing experiences. However, for his latest film, 13 Hours, he shows some degree of restraint, but he still can’t help himself. It’s almost a successful effort. Almost.
The movie tells the true story of the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya and how six CIA operatives defended the diplomatic compound when it was attacked by radical Islamic militants. James Badge Dale and John Krasinski star as the two main characters leading the charge.
Together, six men which included Navy SEALs, a Marine, and Army Special Forces banded to protect the American Ambassador in addition to the US Embassy in Libya. It’s another example of how being bound by desperate circumstances brings out the heroics in people.
I give the movie credit for not blasting the screen with explosions right from the get-go. About the 45 minute mark is when the action starts and that might be considered unusual for someone like Bay. We do get a number of character-driven scenes at the beginning to establish who these guys are and what impact their responsibilities overseas have on their families.
As I’ve already mentioned, once the action starts, Bay does his usual unrelenting assault. To me, Bay reminds me of a cinematic chocoholic: He doesn’t know when to quit and it sometimes swamps the story of any kind of narrative coherence.
This film is well-intentioned and has some effective individual scenes. 13 Hours certainly doesn’t disrespect the people and the events it’s trying to portray on screen, but in the end, it’s still a Michael Bay film. No more, no less.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for strong combat violence throughout, bloody images, and language.)
