When the first posters and trailers for 13 Hours were released, I expected the film to be atrocious. Michael Bay taking on another sad, historical event just seemed like a terrible combination for me. It didn't work the first time (PEARL HARBOUR) Surprisingly though, 13 Hours is actually a solid war film.
The acting is decent. John Krasinski gives a great performance. The supporting cast, though mostly forgettable, all give serviceable performances. The overall story was pretty interesting, considering it was based on true events that I never knew happened. However, it felt like the entire 2.5 hour film was based around one massive action scene, so the story was pretty uneventful for the first half.
Michael Bay actually directed the film pretty nicely. Though it still has many "Michael Bay-isms", the cinematography was great and there were a number of excellent shots. The action was also very well filmed for the most part.
I had a few issues with 13 Hours. Firstly, the writing wasn't great. The dialogue was pretty cheesy and wasn't very convincing. The pacing was also very slow at the beginning, and the first hour felt snail-paced. 20-30 minutes of the film could have easily been cut. My main issue lies in the action, though. Even though it was well directed, it was very messy and confusing. I had no idea what was going on, who the bad guys were or what the mission was. It was just shooting all over the place for a very long time. If it had been more focused, it would have been a much more effective film.
Those flaws aside, 13 Hours is Michael Bay's best film since the first Transformers. It is respectful to the event and soldiers, well directed, and it contains good acting and action. Check it out if you're interested.
RATING: 6.5/10.
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