"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi," Movie Review (minor spoilers)

self | 1/18/2016 | LS

[LS]

Anyone viewing "13 Hours: the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" looking for the names "Hillary" or "Obama" will be disappointed. They aren't there. That said, this is the best Michael Bay movie since "Bad Boys II" and atones for at least two of the "Transformers" films.

Most people know the basic story: on September 11, 2011, the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, where Ambassador Christ Stevens had arrived, came under a planned attack by Islamic radicals. The attack had nothing to do with a video, as the film makes clear. Stevens only had two bodyguards with him, wanting to keep a "low profile." But there were two active-duty JSOC operators and five CIA-employed private contractors (who were all ex-military) at a facility one mile away---a CIA "dark" compound that supposedly no one knew about. Pay no attention to the plot synopsis on IMDB---in the film there are no "demonstrations" or even "staged demonstrations." Bay jumps right into the attack on the diplomatic compound.

Stevens (played by Matt Letscher) and Smith, with their bodyguards, also supposedly have local "police" or paramilitary guarding them. But when the Islamic radicals attack, the "police" run. Bodyguard Scott Strickland secured Stevens and Sean Smith in a secure bathroom---but it isn't secure against smoke and fire. Strickland tried to get help. Stevens and Smith died of smoke inhalation. Strickland returned twice to try and get Stevens out, unsuccessfully.

Meanwhile the real essence of the story involves the developments at the CIA compound, where the GRS ("Global Response Staff"/civilians) had been lobbying the head of the CIA compound ("Bob" played by David Constable) to go relieve the Embassy. "Bob" is alternatively terrified of leaving his own compound unguarded and hopelessly confused. From the outset, "Bob" is contemptuous of the GRS guys, thinking them to be cowboys. He stalls and stalls while Stevens and Smith die and while the Embassy compound is overrun. Finally the group moves without his approval, reach the Embassy compound, get Smith's body, and beat a hasty retreat without finding Stevens.

The Dirka Dirka Jihad group then shifts its attacks to the CIA facility. Here, Bay is at his best, setting up a 21st century "Alamo" or "Roarke's Drift" as the vastly outnumbered American professionals calmly pick off 100 or so jihadis.

All this time, "Bob" and his staff are frantically calling for American support---in Tripoli, to the State Department, to the Pentagon, to the CIA. There is virtually no response. They even request a simply low-level F-16 fly-by. Not approved. It is one of the most sickening scenes that can be imagined---far different from the appeals in films to Sam Houston to rescue the Alamo by condemning his own army to death. Here, the massive military power of the United States just stands idly by as Americans are attacked and killed. Finally a SEAL, Glen Doherty (played by "Black Sails"' captain Toby Stephens) in Tripoli gets a small team of two Delta guys, and a couple of others, and gets a plane to Benghazi. There, he sits on the ground as the local Libyan army and police dawdle for an hour. They finally arrive to provide a small group of reinforcements---the Libyan "police/military" run off, of course---for the men in the compound. In the final assault, just before dawn, when the Jihadis enhance their firepower with mortars, GRS Tyrone Woods (played by "The Pacific's" James Badge Dale) and Doherty are killed. At long last the Libyan military grows a pair and, that, along with being exposed by daylight, the Jihadis leave.

"13 Hours" continues a string of post-9/11 films that focus on the struggle warriors have, in which on the one hand they want to go home and be with their families, but on the other, they are, well, warriors. It's what they do. We see this in "American Sniper" and the "Hurt Locker." Chris Kyle successfully went home, while the Jeremy Renner character does not.

As for the political overtones, although Clinton and Obama are never mentioned nor even depicted (there is one shot of the White House), it is clear that "Bob" is screaming for help to someone . . . and that "someone" isn't listening. Even the starry eyed CIA analyst Sonia Jilani (Alexia Barlier) comes to realize that they have become sacrifices.

Bay's strength is battle scenes, and they are good. He also is very sound in dismissing the notion that the attack was caused by a video---the idea is completely blown off in a short scene. His great weakness is in describing the motivations of the attackers, either in terms of their Islamic faith or the local geo-political climate. What did they have against the Americans, for example? There are intimations---but no clear statements---that perhaps something was up with weapons transfers by Stevens, but that isn't explained or developed. In the end, having dismissed the video but NOT provided another rationale for the attacks, the viewer is left thinking, "Why are these guys fighting in the first place?" Bay then ends with epilogues on the main characters and a line about how many Libyans turned out in a protest against the militias to say they were "sorry" to America. Yet where were those 100,000---heck, 3,000 would have done it---when they were needed, actually FIGHTING the militias? The message is pretty obvious, even if Bay wants to avoid it.

Recommended. B+, language, LOTS of violence and gore---but neither gratuitous.

[USNBandit]

In the era of JDAM, anything would do, but I think there were Vipers at Aviano at the time.

Gone are the days of always having a CVBG in the Med. 12 hours of flight ops and 80 sorties is a jog for a carrier. A carrier could have wrecked the entire town in 13 hours.

[BatGuano]

I’m thinking half that time to wreck Benghazi. When will we take another look at collateral damage? When most of the inhabitants support the local terror machine, it is time for them to pay for their loyalty. Of course the “we” includes the feckless coward in the white hut and his agenda is certainly not in our national interests, never mind the warriors in battle.
ROE probably worse than Vietnam. And, this is Libya, not even talking about Iran or ISIS/Syria.

[Albion Wilde]

I plan on going this week.

I want to see it again, too. The battle scene with the sheep pens, all the plastic rags floating, the women coming at dawn to look for their relatives, was just stunning.

[USNBandit]

Denying air support for fear of collateral damage, when Americans are in direct contact with the enemy only invites our enemy to surround themselves with civilians.

[BatGuano]

That is why they have women and children wandering around.
They know that we will not endanger the “non-combatants” with an air strike or with a soldier looking at them through his scope.

[Saint Reagan]

Most people know the basic story: on September 11, 2011...

Are you sure about that? You're off by a year.

[Jeff Head]

Here's my review and recommendation of the movie, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

The movie has very course language and extreme violence. But it is true to life and not gratuitous. I normally would not see, let alone recommend an R Rated movie...but in this case every adult American should know what happened in Benghazi.

I have two requests.

The first is to God in Heaven that He will see that Justice is served on those who failed their countrymen so horribly for pure political expediency.

The second is to all fellow Americans, to make sure that those people, particularly Hillary Clinton, who abjectly lied about these events for political reasons, NEVER be allowed to have the reigns of power like she so desperately craves. In such a position, she would surely do even much worse...as if this travesty was not bad enough.

Click on the image below to see the video: