13 Hours, the latest film directed by Michael Bay, recounts the real life events that occurred in Libya in 2012 when a small group of soldiers are sent on tour to a top secret CIA base and the 13 hours they experience attempting to rescue an American Ambassador and defend the CIA compound. Beginning with the set up of the primary soldiers, the film later moves into the main conflict.
For quite some time I've really been disappointed in anything Michael Bay has directed or produced. I think there was a point when he came out with a few good films early on in his career but not so much in the past decade. 13 Hours, however, is return to quality for Michael Bay. That isn't to say that his hand can't still be seen in it. There are still plenty of explosions and the extremely fast paced editing he is known for remains in tack. But in this situation it works well as the film takes us from the down time all the way into the chaos of war. And the chaos feels so real in this film that at some points it is almost a little confusing what's happening and who's where. This could be considered a pitfall for a film but considering the nature of battle I think that it works splendidly.
Truly where the film surprises, though, is through John Krasinski. He has come a long way from the office and shows his gravitas as an actor in this film. There wasn't a moment I didn't believe him as a soldier. This is Krasinski as Jack Silva in the same way Bradley Cooper embodied Chris Kyle. They stepped into the shoes of a soldier and lived them in both the world at war and with family at home. With Krasinki's final moments in the film it's hard not to be moved.
This was a film that really hit me deep down as an Army veteran myself and stuck with me emotionally well after the movie ended. It got me to think about life and tugged at my emotions. It's intense and at times graphic (as war is) and not for everybody. But if anything, it was a film that I felt did justice to a lesser known conflict that occurred and the brave men who fought for their brothers.

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