13 Hours [Blu-ray] [2016] [Region Free]

I remember once, many years ago, arguing over the quality of LaserDisc vs DVD. My LaserDisc collection was vast and DVD was just coming to market so I couldn't possibly think this new format could be better than the last. The fact that I would have to buy everything again was worrisome! So I stuck to my guns and pretended DVD didn't exist. I didn't make that mistake this time and I was an early adopter of 4K UHD Blu-ray. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a good example of how different the format is. Not just in terms of resolution (this is a 2K master upscaled to 4K) but how the HDR colour is implemented.I am not at all a fan of Michael Bay. He is an awful director with no eye for editing or shooting beyond his stupid music video inspired style. His films are so over edited and filmed it's like a kid got hold of a camera and started filming! The only thing that drew me to 13 Hours, other that I'm a completest, was the cast. After finishing Jack Ryan and seeing him as the villain of The Office, I wanted to see if John Krasinski had anything more to offer. Max Martini, James Badge Dale and Toby Stephens have long been solid back up in many good films. So I purchased the standard Blu-ray version....The reverence Michael Bay clearly has for the armed services is more than apparent here. There were hints of it in Transformers even but now I get it. The real feeling conversations from the get go put you in the moment with the soldiers. Have the real veterans be the consultants really shows and Bay doesn't even let his haphazard style take over when things get real which I respect him for. He keeps the camera more steady and his shots are the proper length, no fast, early editing.Even though Krasinski is front and centre on the cover art, it's certainly not just his story, it's all these brave souls story. The operators and the non combat officers. The way it's told is excellent without sensationalising it or getting too deep into the politics of it all.Because I liked the film so much I thought I should upgrade to the 4K UHD Blu-ray version. I'm glad I did! Like I said earlier, this is a 2K upscale so I didn't expect it to be a massive upgrade but I was wrong. The difference in colour tone is magical. It really feels hotter! You can see as soon as Krasinski arrives he's not used to heat! But it's more apparent in 4K. The resolution does get a bump but not much, it slightly thins the grain field more than anything else. I like grain but this does look very natural. The picture depth as well is greater, especially in an early scene of tension when Krasinski and Dale are trying to get to their compound. It's well worth the upgrade picture wise and the Dolby Atmos track is simply awesome! It's perfect for a film with this much weapons fire!I do believe that every director has at least one good film in them and this is Michael Bay's! I'm hoping his next film, 6 Underground, keeps the same grounded sense of realism as 13 Hours.

Exceptional film from Michael Bay about the true story of the attack on an 'unofficial' outpost CIA Base in Benghazi, Libya which was made to 'celebrate' the Twin Towers attack on September 11th which resulted in the death of the US Ambassador Chris Stephens. When it came under attack just 6 ex-military soldiers or 'contractors' were available to help defend it and to avoid a bloodbath of its residents by hundreds of Libyans who had overthrown Gaddafi. Amazing camerawork by Dion Beebe and the Production Designer Jeffrey Beecroft did a convincing job. Stars John Krasinski, Toby Stephens and Alexia Barlier. Story of courage, empathy and patriotism in the face of overwhelming odds.

I'm not sure why I like this film so much, it's not exactly a guilty pleasure - I'm not ashamed to say so. It is based on a true story and there are a plethora of conspiracy ideas why these handful of soldiers did not receive the support of the military when they requested it.The film looks amazing, visually there is so much going on when the action unfolds. There is some excellent spurts of well scripted humour among the CIA contractors and at times the sheer surreal environment and context the chaos of a post gadaffi Libya. Yet the characters are always kept at arms length from the audience leaving them seeming to be a little 2D. But interestingly rather than be a let down, this character distance that is maintained actually makes the film work better in my opinion. The story can progress more fluidly. These men showed great bravery during what must have been a deeply unsettling experience. I am hugely relieved to learn after watching this that the real men the film was based around were heavily involved in the transaction from the book/accounts they gave after living through this nightmare when the film was in production. Personally, after Having seen a war movie with claims of a historically accurate portrayal I hate learning that major areas were given the Hollywood treatment, such as changing nationalities that took part in a particular event, anyone remember the film U5741 where the film shows that the Americans were the ones that hijacked a German sub when in fact it was the Brits...Anyway if you enjoyed the likes of Black Hawk Down but want a film with as much action as this and not trying to take a moral or political stance which often ends up feeling like an after thought that has been quickly tacked on in the hope that it'll add depth then you should definitely check this one out. I'm actually going to buy this on blu ray as the film is astonishly good cinematography and I played it safe by buying the standard def stream - before I knew how much I would enjoy it.The failure of the American government to send help to their nationals is also a fairly compelling idea to explore after you watch this.

Gripping action film with outstanding performances from James Badge Dale ( 24 Hours, The Pacific ) and John Krasinski as two of a group of American special forces unit entrusted to guard a small CIA outpost in Benghazi,Libya.After a slow build up of pen portraits of the small group of soldiers and civilians that work at the outpost the screen explodes with visceral action as the group come under fire and siege.Violent, with plenty of blood and guts on display--- this is not a film for the squeamish or for kids. The real story behind this film beggars belief, and thankfully some of that was left unshown.