13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Speaking of 13 Hours, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said, 'This new movie relates the incredible bravery of the men fighting for their lives in Benghazi and the politicians that abandoned them,' while Donald Trump rented a movie theater and distributed free tickets before the Iowa primary. This patriotic, action-packed thriller allegedly chronicles the 2012 attack on the diplomatic compound in Libya that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. But despite the film's assertions, the now-retired CIA station chief—identified only as 'Bob'—denies that he ever issued an order to 'stand down.' 'There never was a stand down order,' he told the Washington Post/Associated Press. 'At no time did I ever second-guess that the team would depart.' Indeed, a two-year investigation by the House Intelligence Committee found that the CIA and military acted properly in responding to the Islamic extremist attack and determined there was no delay in dispatching a CIA rescue team. But this is a Michael Bay movie: so forget accuracy and clarity. 'No one will mistake this movie for a documentary,' stated CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani. 'It's a distortion of the events and people who served in Benghazi that night. It's shameful that, in order to highlight the heroism of some, those responsible for the movie felt the need to denigrate the courage of other Americans who served in harm's way.' Based on Mitchell Zuckoff's nonfiction bestseller, 13 Hours is peppered with violent shootouts, firebombs, and a completely fictitious bus explosion. Hunky John Krasinski plays a rugged Navy SEAL-turned-private security contractor, with costars including Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, James Badge Dale, David Denman, and Dominic Fumusa. Hollywood hokum, this is optional, at best. [Note: Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes 'Uncovering Benghazi's Secret Soldiers' (28 min.), 'Preparing for Battle' (27 min.), and 'For the Record: Finding the Truth Amid the Noise' (8 min.), as well as a segment on the premiere (3 min.), an 'In Memoriam' tribute (3 min.), trailers, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an ingenuous 'true' story.] (S. Granger) [4K Review—June 4, 2019—Paramount, 144 min., R, 4K: $29.99—Making its debut on 4K, 2016’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi boasts a great transfer and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Extras are identical to the previous Blu-ray release and include the behind-the-scenes featurettes 'Uncovering Benghazi’s Secret Soldiers' (28 min.), 'Preparing for Battle' (27 min.), and 'For the Record: Finding the Truth Amid the Noise' (8 min.), as well as a segment on the premiere (3 min.), an 'In Memoriam' tribute (3 min.), and bonus Blu-ray and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a slanted film with a sharper picture, thanks to 4K.]