The film starts with private military contractor Jack Da Silva arriving in Benghazi. New-arrival Jack joins a team of ex-military men providing security for a covert CIA compound. Nearby, is a newly established U.S. Diplomatic outpost.
When the local political situation suddenly deteriorates. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens finds his Diplomatic outpost under attack by Islamic Extremists and angry locals. Jack and his team of ex-military servicemen realize they're the only personnel on the ground who can mount a rescue mission to save the Ambassador. The six-man team must fight their way through the streets to reach the besieged outpost.
It’s during the attack on the Ambassadors compound that the movie shifts up a gear. Director Michael Bay handles the battle scenes impressively. These sequences have a frantic energy which sweeps the audience along. The scenes are reminiscent of Bay’s earlier work on the Transformers franchise.
Critics have complained that 13 Hours lacks nuance. It’s true, this movie doesn’t have the depth of ‘Blackhawk Down’ or ‘Beasts Of No Nation’. But that doesn’t necessarily make this a bad film – on the contrary, I really enjoyed it. Despite the weak dialogue and occasional cliche. This feels like a good old fashion war movie. Nothing here is overly politicised, this film is unashamedly action packed and never pretends to be anything other than what it is. If you want a thought-provoking war film, try the excellent Generation War (review here). However, if you want a testosterone-fuelled bulletfest, watch 13 Hours.
Update: Unfortunately, 13 Hours is no longer available on Netflix. You can rent it on Amazon but it is not included with the Prime subscription.
