User reviews

For the movie I gave it an 8. That's based on 32 years of military service, 7 combat tours (3 in Iraq) and working with the likes of the characters in the movie. Sorry for those who's lives were so well protected that they've never been exposed to the likes of us but, that's how we talk and act. It's a type-A environment and we use it to protect ourselves and motivate our brothers in arms.

I am well versed on the facts as provided by the MSM however, as someone in the biz I also know that the fly in the ointment are the facts.

1. The firing of mortars is an art and the mortar launcher has to be anchored to the ground or every mortar will land off target. The mortars landing on the CIA compound are dead accurate and also require spotters to assist with any corrections.

2. Aviano AB, Italy is about 2-hours away. Had they been launched, even if only to do a low fly-by, would have driven off the attackers; just like I used them in Iraq in Mosul, Tikrit, and Baghdad. I don't know why the Commander of the 555 (Triple Nickel) didn't launch. It's one of the big questions that remain unanswered by the media or the movie.

3. Hillary's statement that, "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans?" was a red herring. Because it was neither. As later testimony bore out, it was a planned, coordinated, terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11.

4. All UAS aircraft are armed. As stated in the movie could have assisted in the defense of the embassy or the CIA compound.

5. General Ham, AfricaCom CC is someone I worked with in Mosul in 2004 for 6-months. Good guy and I know from my experience he would not hesitate to act if allowed. One day he'll give an interview and get his whole story. Can't wait...

Rick274 Colonel (Retired) 274ASOS/CC

The 13 hours that didn't have to be and the 14 American lives that didn't have to be lost. The Benghazi incident of 2012 will always be remembered as another failed diplomatic experiment in the Middle East by the United States, but it sadly won't be remembered for the brave soldiers that so boldly fought to save the lives of several Americans.

"13 Hours" changes that. This film gives the brave men, who selflessly put their lives on the line, the recognition that they deserve. It honors the lives of those lost and it gives the audience an authentic, real visualization of what happened on that night.

Finally, I love how personal this film got. Many war films lack that personal touch, but "13 Hours" reminds you that even America's most prestigious militants are humans with a life beyond warfare.

Benghazi.

In this age of bitter rhetoric, the name conjures all manner of furor and blame. A small stinging wound to honor and prestige - a name to carry hate and zealotry.

Michael Bay, OF ALL PEOPLE, was able to peer into the 2012 attack on US diplomatic and intelligence resources, and capture one hell of a war story. Going into this movie, I expected a number of things. Among them were gratuitous explosions, jingoistic flag waving, and tough-guy tired clichés. I did not get what I was expecting.

Instead, Bay, his cast, and his filmmaking team have brought out a solid, technically informed, faithfully rendered account of those who were caught in the conflagration - how they found themselves there, how they fought for their lives, and how they made it out...or didn't. There's no political agenda here. The only agenda is to show warriors (who are also real people, with cares, and hopes and flaws) engaged in struggle, with all the courage, and luck, horror, and terrible splendor that is timeless.

And in the end, there's no war worship - only somber reflection on the nature of struggle, and what it does to these warriors. This is a clear and worthy work for that. Bravo.

I first saw this film when it opened back in January, 2012. While it's not a "great" film by any stretch, it is a solidly good one. It is also Michael Bay's most *RESTRAINED* film (which isn't saying much, but it's a FAR cry better than the last four Transformers films).

But, getting to the title of my comment, when I went back and watched this film for the second time (today, February 16, 2019), I felt compelled to pull up IMDb on my phone during the viewing and I checked out some of the user reviews. I found one thing shockingly in common among all of the one-star "reviews":

Not a single one of them had any knowledge of the events of the true incident! And it was painfully obvious that they could not have been bothered to do a little research before making their inane comments public. Many did not know the name of the militant group that attacked the compound (Ansar al-Sharia), and just randomly decided that it must be ISIS. Some felt that it was a condemnation on Hillary Clinton and her actions/lack of actions as the events unfolded (there was not a single mention of Secretary Clinton throughout the entire film, good or bad). One did not even understand why the name of the film is "13 Hours" (seriously, did they even bother to actually WATCH the film before adding their "thoughts" in a blatant effort to only try to bring down the rating percentage?)!

Is the film accurate? Of course not. When a movie is based on a true event, dramatic license is and ALWAYS has been used to make the film more compelling to viewers. And say what you will about Michael Bay's films, but the guy can masterfully direct action set pieces; each one expertly realized to get the viewer's heart pumping. Here, he does it again and again. Or, more accurately, two straight hours after the first bullets start flying to the bitter end.

It's not a definitive history lesson on what actually happened, but it is decidedly riveting and Bay's most mature film to date. One can only hope that now he's left the directorial duties of the abyssmally and increasingly brainless "Transformers" franchise to other people, maybe we can start getting more films like this from him so people can remember what he is actually capable of when he gets material to work with that he takes seriously and treats it as such.

I have seen this film twice. Both times I was disturbed by it for the next few days after not sleeping the nights I watched it. I fought in Afghanistan 2004-05 and Iraq 2006-07, and for me, this film nails it. The night vision green, the sound of the AK's, the streets and allys, the mentality and sense of duty, all of it is too realistic for me to watch again. But I respect that. This is the only film I can think of that really rattles my cage. Well done.

I wouldn't say it's the best war film I've ever seen, but for my experiences, it accurately portrays them, despite me never having been to Libya. It's accurate of my personal experiences to a large degree.

This movie is based on a true story about the attack on an American embassy and a secret CIA base in Benghazi, Libya, on the 9/11 anniversary in 2012. And how a few numbers of of Ex-Soldiers managed to repel the attack.

Directed by Micheal Bay, I was surprised to see him holding back his Bay-ism and deliver a straight forward focused film. The story got a long build up at the start, setting up the location, the characters and the situation. And then chaos. What I liked most about this film was the fact that you felt just as lost as the soldiers and people in this movie. The confusion, the chaos, the uncertainty, it was delivered quite nicely, creating tension and thrill.

There are a lot of characters in the movie, but ultimately it is focused on these soldiers, and while the movie could have done a better job developing them, what it did was good enough in a sense that it worked for the movie. I liked em. Acting varied, with some delivering pretty good performances. Also, again with Micheal Bay restricting himself, there were no stupid side plots or cringe worthy romance for any of the characters. They all had families back home and we got some moments with them, humanizing the soldiers more.

The action was solid. It felt raw and realistic. There were the occasional Micheal Bay's firework explosions and some exaggerated RPG moments, but that's about it. Everything else was great. And this is the movie to watch on a home theater if you own one because sound effects were terrific. The explosions, the guns firing, the bullet impacts, it all sounded really great. Soundtrack was good. And the cinematography was great, it was a good looking movie.

The movie strayed away from political stuff, and just focused on the incident, which made me appreciate it more. The underlying message it was trying to give might have been too heavy handed at times, especially at the end, but it was a good one.

My issues with the movie, other than the ones already mentioned, were that the movie was too long. It took about 40 mins for things to get started and while the build up created the anticipation for what's about to happen, it got too long and slow in some areas. 20 mins shorter and it would have been a much tighter and cleaner film. Also, there are some, few, but some cringe-y scenes attempting to add humor, which stand out like a sore thumb considering most of the movie has a serious tone.

All in all, it was an entertaining watch and shows Micheal Bay still can control himself. I hope the dude gives up on Transformers and does other things, like this, more. Shame that this turned out to be his least grossing film. Definitely a recommended watch.

7.8/10

"Things change fast here in Benghazi." Jack Silva (Krasinski) has just been reassigned as a guard for the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. What starts off as a routine assignment changes on September 11, 2012. When a group of insurgents breach the Embassy and attempt to kill the US Ambassador, Jack and his group of 6 have to make a decision. Follow orders and stay away, or disobey their commander and go help their fellow soldiers. I was looking forward to watching this, but I was also a little worried at the same time. The story is interesting and somewhat controversial and is a perfect idea for a movie, but it was directed by Michael Bay. For that reason I was expecting a lot of special effects and explosions and didn't think he was the director that should be in charge of this story. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was wrong. This is a realistic war movie that doesn't embellish the drama or actions, mainly because the story didn't need it. The movie is not political at all and mainly focus on the soldiers decisions. I liked it more than I expected to. Overall, not just a surprisingly good Michael Bay movie, a good movie period. I give this a high B+.

Telling this story needed to be done and done right. Amazingly, Michael Bay achieves true greatness with this effort. I'm overwhelmed because no one could have known Bay had this movie in him as a director.

This is a masterful film in almost every aspect and certainly in every way that truly matters. Maybe knowing the real life set up and cover up to these events helps elevate the appreciation of what hits the screen but the film holds up well even if a viewer is unaware of world affairs. The premeditated, brutal attack in 2012 on two United States installations in Benghazi, Libya is a dark chapter in not only the war on terror but in U.S. history in general. Expertly depicting the events surrounding those attacks with such tension and emotion is a credit to this film and those that made it. This includes the remarkable cast who each were superb in their roles. Maybe the first act was a bit long as characters were established and maybe the over use of shaky cam early can be considered technical flaws but when a story is this well told and this well crafted, flaws like that fall quickly by the waste side.

The movie draws you in and makes you feel like you were there on that fateful night. Without getting overly political, it informs the viewer of what happened in riveting detail. It leaves the "why did this happen and who is to blame" for the viewer to decide. The courage on display and the charisma of those that serve comes across in a big way. That (along with current political consequences) is reason enough why this story needed to be told. Thank God that they did it justice.

This is a 2016 American biographical action-thriller film directed and produced by Michael Bay and written by Chuck Hogan; based on Mitchell Zuckoff's 2014 book of the same name. The film follows six members of the Annex Security Team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of attacks by militants on September 11, 2012. In 2012, following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Benghazi in Libya is named one of the most dangerous places in the world, and countries have pulled their diplomatic offices out of the country in fear of an attack by militants. The United States still has a diplomatic compound, not an official consulate, open in the city. Less than a mile away is a top secret CIA base, "the Annex," which is protected by a team of private military contractors from Global Response Staff (GRS). New to the detail is former US Navy SEAL Jack Silva, who arrives in Benghazi and is picked up by fellow former US Navy SEAL Tyrone "Rone" Woods, the commander of the GRS team and a personal friend of Silva. Arriving at the Annex, Silva is introduced to the rest of the GRS team: former US Marines Mark "Oz" Geist, John "Tig" Tiegen and Dave "Boon" Benton and former US Army Ranger Kris "Tanto" Paronto and the CIA Chief of Station, "Bob", who constantly gives the team strict reminders to never engage the citizens. Lavish Michael Bay production with all-star cast recreating in cruel detail the Mogadishu battle. This is an accurate portrayal, second-by-second , of the blood battle of Bengasi. During an attack on a U. S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos. In 2012, the threat level in Benghazi, Libya was deemed "critical". When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right. When everything went wrong six men had the courage to do what was right. That night, a group of militants from Ansar al-Sharia assault the compound. The 17-Feb guards are quickly overrun, which allows the attackers easy access to the compound. Wickland takes Stevens and Smith, an IT specialist, to the safe room. Unable to breach the safe room, the attackers set the building on fire hoping to burn the men out. Wickland escapes but loses both Stevens and Smith. At the Annex, the GRS team desperately wants to go to the compound to help, but the Chief refuses for fear that the team's departure would expose the Annex.

Michael Bay helped immeasurably by superb cameraman Dion Beebe and an excellent creative team has created the ultimate vision of war as hell on earth, a nightmarish firefight. Stirring and emotion of the film is aided by an exciting musical score by Lorne Balfe . Conventional elements in the screenplay as heroism, comradeship, are based on a story devoid of sentimentality and balanced by a genuinely complex examination of courage in the field . It is overpowered by one of the most relentlessly and realistic harrowing war action . Cast is pretty good , such as : John Krasinski , James Badge Dale, Pablo Schreiber , David Denman , Dominic Fumusa , Max Martini and Toby Stephens. Filming began on April 27, 2015, in Malta and Morocco. Known colloquially as "the Benghazi movie,"the film was released on January 15, 2016, by Paramount Pictures. Upon release, 13 Hours grossed $69 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million (not including advertising and distribution), and became one of Bay's lowest-grossing films until the 2022 release of Ambulance. 13 Hours also received many mixed reviews from critics. While the film was praised for its acting performances, action sequences, and dark tone, the script was criticized for its historical liberties. Bay's direction also received a mixed response, with many criticizing his emphasis on over-the-top action, but some also noting it as one of his most mature and grounded films. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Mixing at the 89th Academy Awards.

This movie hit home. Every PMC who signs every contract knows they have no US military support. A PMC or grouping of PMC's is on their own. Only a President can order US military action on a foreign nation without the Senate and House Approval. Had President Obama sent in a military for for support or even ordered air support for those PMC's would have made a single handed de-facto declaration of war against Libya, which at the time out armed forces were engaged in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Adding a third conflict with another Arab state would have over extended US armed forces resources to one region, complicating a difficult situation already happening. I am glad most of those PMC's made it home alive to their families and did exactly what their contract states, solved the situation by themselves. Great movie ,but brought up horrible memories for me. With the facts I presented keep those facts in mind when sitting down to watch this movie or watch it again. ( Once was enough for me. ) Great directing and acting, pretty close to factual. Watch it or rewatch it with the facts I presented in mind and the movie will make a whole lot more sense to the viewer.

Yes, its a typical michael bay movie from hollywood. But a very intense one, that keeps you at the edge of you seat from the first minute.

Just lean back and have fun!

One thing needs to be kept in mind when watching any war film that portrays the US's military misfortunes in recent years; this is "not" America.

The cold hard facts are the US administration and its allies invaded Libya and overthrew its government. This triggered a factional war between rivals groups vying for power. No one officially asked the US government and its European pals to do what they did and their reasons for doing so, are, to say the least, questionable.

The film itself is well directed, the action scenes capably executed and the material is inherently interesting. That said, this film is also very one sided. It fails to acknowledge any culpability on the part of the US government, for the misery and chaos, their role, in what I would describe as adventurism, has caused the Libyan people.

So whilst I felt a degree of sympathy for the those on the ground, the realty is, this is yet another place in the world where the US simply should not be. Five out of ten from me.

I found this movie to be very intense and riveting. The audience seemed to have a need to make an unusual number of trips to the snack bar and rest room and I found myself becoming frustrated by the number of interruptions. The movie is not for the faint of heart, as there are a number of scenes with graphic depiction of injuries. Regardless of your political affiliation, if you have any thoughts about what happened at Benghazi, you need to see this movie. Michael Bay does a great job of portraying what happened. Additionally, with the exception of one individual who s portrayed as not wanting to take action, he does not take the obvious opportunity to lay blame at any single individual in the US government. He clearly portrays a small group of men as heroes. Without their courage and willingness to fight against what appears to be an overwhelming force many more lives would have been lost. I do not often see movies twice, but this movie is likely to be an exception... In closing, if Michael Bay is 90% accurate in his depiction of what happened, our government (the US government), owes a huge debt of gratitude and an apology for their lack of action to 6 very brave men.

Don't be dissuaded by the fact that this is a Michael Bay film; the usually bombastic blockbuster director shows a relative level of restraint and integrity in his execution of this intense modern war tale. Sure, there are explosions, slow motion shots and chest-thumping moments of heroism, but unlike his increasingly egregious directorial flourishes in the Transformers series, here they are comparatively controlled and organic. Bay's propensity for overlong runtimes results in a repetitiveness that dampens the third act's power, however he executes the gun battles with enough ferocity and immediacy to maintain the immersion. Chuck Hogan's screenplay – adapted from Mitchell Zuckoff's novel – doesn't bring anything new to the genre, yet he adeptly avoids clichés through grounded characters and authentic interactions. A little less finger pointing would've been great though. Akin to Peter Berg's Lone Survivor, this Libyan-set true story relies heavily on the core group's chemistry and relatability to elevate the simple premise into a more affecting and interesting combat picture. James Badge Dale and John Krasinski lead the pack as long-time mates who miss their families but love their job, both bringing emotional heft and sincerity to roles which also required bulked-up physical transformations. The other notable cast member is Pablo Schreiber (of Orange is the New Black fame), who imbues his team joker with a surprising amount of depth and gravitas whilst also delivering most of the movie's levity. It's not in the same league as the great motion pictures depicting war, nevertheless 13 Hours is a kinetic, adrenaline-pumping and compelling yarn that offers a solid cinematic viewing experience.

It is honestly hard to believe that the guy behind all that transformers crap made a solid, almost flawless war movie with an amazing cast. I have no idea why this is rated so low, acting is on point, pacing is great and the build-up keeps you engaged even on the second viewing.

Talk about action packed! "13 Hours" had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! This film tells the story based on true unimaginable, events that occurred in Benghazi in 2012. John Krasinski and James Badge Dale did an amazing job transforming into their roles as Jack Da Silva and Rone Woods. It really is incredibly the courage military men show during times of chaos and struggle. It is so commendable and it is great that stories like this are shown on the big screen so the general public can appreciate the true sacrifice these men and women give to protect our country. Michael Bay, per usual, did not disappoint with his awesome special effects and extreme stunts. A wonderful film that can be enjoyed by all!

13 Hours is an incredibly intense war movie that's thrilling, tense and emotional whilst easily being one of Michael Bay's best films. James Badge Dale and John Krasinski both give incredible performances and Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, David Denman and Dominic Fumusa are all great and together they have fantastic chemistry. Michael Bay's direction is excellent and more restrained in places than usual. It's extremely well filmed with visceral action sequences and it's also extremely well paced. The music by Lorne Balfe is amazing.

I'm giving it an 8 out of 10 . Only reason it doesn't get a ten is there's no after scenes showing all the traitors and gutless politicians that left them out to dry being prosecuted and sentenced to death for treason. Nothing about the lies and doublespeak to the American people and the complicity of the lame stream media and how fast they got behind whatever bullsht the White House decided to say. The acting and effects were top notch and realistic. The amount of corruption and people involved in it in the end was astounding. There needs to be more documentary / movies about these incidents and actual trials.

I saw this was on network TV yesterday so I recorded ad watched last night. WOW! Really intense and powerful. This was really even more gripping than Zero Dark Thirty. I thought the acting was good and was surprised to see Wags from Billions with a major role. If this is really how it went down those men did a heroic job protecting that compound. It seems pretty clear if they were allowed to go earlier to the embassy they could have saved Stevens. It seems like just a little air support could have snuffed the terrorists fairly easily. Thanks Obama and Clinton.

Although the phrase 'The best Michael Bay movie ever' may not be an actual compliment in a lot of circles, '13 Hours' is a solid 7 out of 10 and better than almost every movie that I saw in 2015. It is the successful modern warfare movie that the highly confusing 'Black Hawk Down' and the very dull 'Zero Dark Thirty' were not.

Showcasing a big cast of likable (and discernible) characters and some good (albeit slightly confusing) action set pieces, this movie bears comparisons to the HBO series 'Band of Brothers' and 'Generation Kill,' which it more strongly resembles, but it is actually a bit better than those good shows, thanks to the very likable, better differentiated ensemble cast of characters and the uncomfortable, but steady ratcheting of the plot. And unlike 'Black Hawk Down' and 'Zero Dark Thirty' almost all of the drama here actually works. The grisly moments are well--and dryly--handled, and the performances are good, and in some cases--such as with Schreiber, Denman, and Krasinski--very good.

None of the flaws are severe. Mostly, they are limited to the (expected) overcutting of the material, the occasional stylistic flourishes that don't quite gel with the rest of the movie (e.g. the mortar shell point of view), some scenes that are explained rather than shown (eg. the guarding the ambassador during his public appearance), and a handful of line readings of the wisecracking dialogue that don't seem as natural as those that are in the rest of the movie.

In terms of morals and messages, '13 Hours' was noticeably grayer than I was expecting it to be, especially considering the director and that it was based on a true story. If I did not know who directed this, my first guess would actually have been Michael Mann--the visuals really have that lose, purposefully ugly 'Collatera'l and 'Miami Vice' (2006) feel--though this is certainly a much more sentimental picture than anything that Mann has made in decades. A surprisingly good ensemble war event along the lines of 'Men in War' (1957) and 'Battleground' (1949). Recommended.

I endured about a third of this before giving up. I guess this was aimed at drawing in those viewers whose lives revolve around the realism of the world of video games. Maybe the balance of the movie involved some real substance, but the first bit was nothing but childish nonsense with some facts tossed in to make it easier to swallow.

You've got a bunch of testosterone-addled clowns who each sports a beard; who give cute monosyllabic nicknames to each other as well as to everyone and everything they encounter; who have adorable wives, children, dogs back home; who work out; who play video games to demonstrate how relaxed they are in the dangerous environment; who use the f-word every two minutes so we know how tough they are; and who think they know everything there is to know about Libya from weeks spent inside American compounds surrounded by Americans.

All the locals are portrayed as clownish, sinister, cowardly cartoon characters and the Americans involved above the rank of knuckle-draggers are either slaves to mindless protocol or buffoonish pie-in-the-sky Harvard or Yale dilettantes.

I'm not sure which is more troubling, that this serious event has been reduced to this soap operatic cast of caricature-characters or that this portrayal remotely matches the actual people involved. In either case I'm sure many of those who watch it will absorb it all to be stored away as fact … just like Batman and Superman battling the forces of evil is fact.

Sadly disappointing case of Hollywood reshaping reality to appeal to the crowd who needs car chases and plenty of weaponry to keep their attention from wandering.

Amazing movie based on a true story. Couldn't have done it better.