By TRENTON JUDD & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
Trenton: 4 out of 5
“13 Hours” could lead to a successful film career for John Krasinski. Krasinski is best best known as Jim Halpert on “The Office,” where he plays a comedic office worker who flirts with a receptionist.
In “13 Hours,” his character is a hardened solider who just wants to get back to his wife and daughters. The film is based on the true story of how a team of CIA soldiers tried to defend their base from an army of Benghazi terrorists.
As I said before, this film is based on a true story, so naturally you would think the film is purely story driven, but I believe what truly drives this film are the actors and the people they are portraying.
Overall, the performances were captivating and solid, but the film had a small amount of forced humor, which didn’t bother me too much considering that it was played off in a way that felt natural. All the main actors did a fantastic job, but the film definitely had two stand-out actors: James Dale, who played Tyrone woods, and Krasinski. Both of these actors had a natural feeling of comradery between them, and their stand-alone performances were incredible.
Out of the two of them, my favorite performances in the film were done by Karsinski because this is so different from the straight-laced characters he has played before. He definitely has a great talent that will not be ignored.
“13 Hours” is an overall great film with some outstanding performances that are definitely worth the price of admission.
Natalie: 3 out of 5
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” is a somber film based on the true story of six brave men. The film portrays the events of six contracted mercenaries on a CIA base in Benghazi who responded to the attacks on the American diplomatic compound in Libya in September 2012.
I went into the film with only a general knowledge of the events that occurred in Benghazi; I left with little additional information. Though the film follows the inside events of the attacks, the cloudy film that has covered the Benghazi attacks still remains.
The film is poignant, yet heartbreaking. The gore and violence portrays the horrific happenings at war. “13 Hours” is entirely engrossing, captivating, requiring the audience’s attentions. Films portraying war always haunt my mind and inspire me to become more informed.
The testosterone-dominant cast is spectacular, with John Krasinski doing a fantastic job in the lead. The cast inserts substance and emotion into a primarily action-packed film. The inclusion of the personal lives of these combatants makes the film more sentimental and emotional
Regardless of speculations that Michael Bay created and released this film as propaganda against democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton, this film is a great, albeit difficult, watch.
Bottom Line: Whether you’re an action flick buff or not, this film is a great watch to learn about a piece of modern history of America.