Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Review: Bay Can Direct and Direct He Does

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2016)

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 3.7/5 stars
"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" is Director Micahel Bay's most mature effort hitherto, and almost makes you forget his cinematic abominations in the past few years; almost, ranking with his best efforts like "The Rock" and "Armageddon". Film schools will hardly declare it as a shining example of brilliant filmmaking, but all the tough SOBs in the Navy Seals, Delta Forces, and Marines - the ones whose opinions actually matter here because they're the ones who go through such harrowing experiences to keep us protected - will, in all probability, give "13 Hours" two thumbs up.
The story of the by now well-known attack on the CIA base in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 generally sticks to what is thought to have happened, and provides some tense action scenes while paying due reverence to the sensitivity of its subject matter. But, then again, Bay's expertise in staging elaborate and exciting fight scenarios was never in doubt, it's been his handling of other directorial aspects that have made many of his efforts almost intolerable. Thankfully, this time we get the Bay of "The Rock" rather than the man behind the misfires that were "The Transformers" movies and his other mind-numbing crapfests.
"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers" of Benghazi is a gut-wrenching, tense, action-packed, yet emotionally draining war movie, and Bay can still direct if he sets his mind to it. Why doesn't he do it more often?