2.9 KiB
+++ title = "13 Hours (2016)" date = 2021-03-25
[taxonomies] tags = ["movies", "reviews", "michael bay", "benghazi", "stars:1", "movies:2021"] +++
Wikipedia Summary: The film follows six members of Annex Security Team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of attacks by militants on September 11, 2012.
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For some weird reason, I thought the movie was directed by Scorcese: Long explanations, long dialogues, almost like some chess match in which players just keep moving one peon at the time...
... and then the explosions started.
"Scorcese went full Michael Bay", I though. Lo and behold, this is a Michael Bay movie.
And, as any Michael Bay movie, you can't expect that it was two actual players just moving peons in a board. No no, it was just two pigeons pecking the peons thinking it was food.
As any war movie of this kind, there is the obvious camaraderie between soldiers, in which you actually know one of them will die; as any war movie of this kind, one of the soldiers is about to become a parent; as any war movie of this kind, the enemy is just bad and have no reason besides "kill the protagonists".
But it is based on real facts, but the movie seems to have ignored the why it reached that situation. History tells us that Gaddafi was taken out of power and that created a power vacuum, which led to extremists taking control. That's bad. And that is portrayed as the only reason everyone hates the American ambassador.
Actually, no. That isn't portrayed. The Libyans simply hate Americans and want to kill Americans. No, it is not because everybody drives their beaten up cars while the Americans have brand new -- and, weirdly enough, never truly covered in dust -- cars. No, it is not because everywhere is a desert, except in the ambassador house and the annex compound. No, it is not because it seems Americans have turned their life pretty comfortable and doesn't seem any bit interested in helping the country they are in. Nope, it is pure hate for Americans.
Again, as any war movie of this kind, there is the obvious "6 guys can hold up a horde of 300". No, it is fine, really. You see, Americans are way superior than any other country, so they can easily hold against that many. Bullets? Oh, no worries, bullets materialize up in thin air to keep the blood of the enemies of the greatest nation flowing.
In the end, the movie is only worth for the Michael Bay Explosions.
(Actually, fun fact: There is a scene when a bus coming with a large bomb and the Americans manage to hit it while it is inside the bus, which explodes like some sort of fire works factory going nuts.)
PS: Heck, I understand that I tried to stay away from showing any signs of taking sides, but I guess I'm still pissed with Greenland.