What went on before, during after the attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, has been the subject of controversy since the news broke. What we as a movie site have to examine is the film from Michael Bay, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. It is a stunning piece of work that paints a picture of heroism at the highest levels. We also believe that it is not in the least an indictment of anyone in the government, but merely a salute to the six elite ex-military contracted soldiers who saw the ultimate horrors and ran right into to do what they could to help Americans in peril.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray and not only is the film a must-own for its content, but the bonus features take us inside the making of the film, Bay’s passion for the project and introduces us to the real life men who are the utter definition of American hero.
The film chronicles what happens when terrorists swarm a U.S. diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. Incredibly out-gunned and completely overwhelmed, a group of contract military former special ops soldiers are nearby at a CIA facility (that technically does not exist… wink, wink). Faced with doing nothing, or risking their lives for fellow Americans, the half-dozen highly trained individuals hop in a jeep and head straight for the firefight.
As history has shown us, we know what happens. The U.S. Ambassador to Libya was killed, along with several others. But, numerous lives were saved.
Bay’s film takes you into every pulse-pounding moment of the battle and it’s to think of a film that chronicles an armed conflict like this has ever put the audience firmly on the ground with the soldiers as they experience the fear, risk and breathtaking terror as bullets fly, explosions detonate and hearts race with adrenaline. It’s beyond intense and action packed is too tame of a phrase to describe Bay’s latest. As we stated in our theatrical 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi review, this film is a stunner and the one that the action helmer of Transformers fame was born to make.
His salute to these heroes is never over the top, it simply presents what happens in a moment-by-moment record of what happens when fate calls and heroes answer.
That tribute is also present in every single bonus features on the Blu-Ray and DVD release.
Most notably, viewers have to begin their journey into the 13 Hours featurettes with Uncovering Benghazi’s Secret Soldiers. The almost half-hour doc short looks at the life of contract security military personnel and features interviews with the real people who were in Benghazi. The featurette also looks at the sets made for the movie and how they differed (slightly) from the real landscape of that fateful day. Viewers will also be treated to a front row seat to how the actors bonded with the real guys they play. That aspect is a true treat, because it becomes apparent immediately that the thespians felt a huge weight to bring their tale to life in the most honest and true way possible.
For those who have been fascinated by the entire incident, might we recommend checking out For the Record: Finding the Truth Amid the Noise. The just over eight minute featurette looks at the real timeline of the events that led to the attack on the compound on September 11 and 12. We also glean from this featurette that this film was truly a passion project for Bay as he talks up his commitment to the film serving as a chronicle as much as a narrative film can be.
After witnessing the breathtaking battle scenes of 13 Hours, many will want to know how Bay staged those moments with such pulse-pounding brilliance. Preparing for Battle: Behind the Scenes of 13 Hours focuses on the intensity of the work behind the scenes that brought those real life harrowing moments to life.
When the film premiered, we were truly moved by how Paramount had rolled out the red carpet and made it a salute to all our armed forces. Operation: 13 Hours Premiere takes you inside the premiere at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (home of the Dallas Cowboys) for an all-star tribute to our men and women who put their lives on the line, day in and day out.
Lastly, after watching 13 Hours, you have to witness In Memoriam, which features a stunning rendition of Amazing Grace playing as photos of the deceased appear.
Film: B+
Bonus Features: B+