Transforming Half a Day

Rating: 4/10 (12 June 2016)

Whether or not I was told prior this was a Michael Bay movie, it would've been pounded into my head 52,000 times that Bay directed this. It's almost he couldn't hesitate to put his mark every few seconds, I guess, to prove he can direct something outside of giant fighting robots.
Yes, I am aware he directed and I saw Pain & Gain, which wasn't all that good, and Bad Boys, etc. But, like James Cameron, he's been pretty much obsessed with one series for almost the past decade.
I'm bringing up Bay a ton because to me, he was a distraction. His "slight humor" at the most inopportune times, use of slow-mo, low angles, American Flags everywhere and that American soldiers can never do any wrong/always the hero, were all so spotlighted, I kept losing focus on what could've been a great movie.
The movie itself is straight-forward, and this is coming from someone who knew NOTHING about the Benghazi incident prior to seeing this other than soon-to-be President Hillary Clinton's name is brought up a ton. Contractors/military men are not supposed to be in the worst region of the world, but they're hired by our government to protect an Ambassador and other spies. When memos, orders and fear sets in as the rebels attack, it's up to the contractors/military men to defend their "base" and men until help arrives.
When you take out the Bay'isms and the humor that worked sometimes, but mostly inappropriately timed, you can really get into what these men had to go through. I almost don't want to downgrade the movie because it was really intense for many of the scenes and I, of course, was really rooting for them to survive until the cavalry arrived.
But, sadly, since Bay has such an ego, I can't recommend this movie.
***
Final thoughts: I'm guessing there is a lot of politics involved in this incident. Politicians lied to cover-up stuff. Uh-oh. Politicians lying? What the Hell? When did that start happening?
Look, listen. I don't think the general public needs to know all about military operations or the enemies will know more. Duh. Lie. Lie some more. Keep these incidents between the parties that need to know. (Drops Mic)