What kind of film do we get if it contains impressive special effects, poor dialogues, one-dimensional characters, lacks nuance, and relies too much on explosions? Yup, it sounds like a Michael Bay project. Critics have bombarded most of his films. However, the filmmaker has given a bunch of enjoyable and entertaining movies like The Rock (1996), the first two Bad Boys flicks, and Transformers (2007). One of his most underrated flicks is ‘13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi”. It is streaming on Netflix.
‘13 Hours’ is based on a real-life story of a group of six American soldiers who were a part of the Annex Security Team, posted in Benghazi, Libya. The group was selected to protect the American diplomatic compound during the militant attacks of September 2012 in the city.
One of the things that stands out the most in the film is Michael Bay’s mature and restrained direction. Instead of his ‘popular’ bombastic and special effects-driven approach, the director surprisingly keeps things under control in the movie. He also excels at accurately depicting the events of the 2012 Benghazi attack. As for performances, the duo of John Krasinski and James Badge Dale shines the most, especially the latter. This film treasures Dale’s career-best work. He has starred in numerous flicks, such as The Departed (2006), Flight (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), The Lone Ranger (2013), Only the Brave (2017), and many more.
The rest of the cast, including Dominic Fumusa, Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, and David Denman, do complete justice to their respective characters. The film’s cinematography, pacing, and action sequences also received critical praise.
Yes, ‘13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is not at the level of Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down. Still, it is a compelling and entertaining watch. Stream this Micheal Bay flick on Netflix.