A war movie done John Woo-style sounded like such a good idea on paper. The slow-motion action sequences and other typical Woo-ism elements are often even more laughable than beautiful or realistic. Same goes for the deeper and sentimental meanings of the movie.

It's obvious John Woo wanted to make a "Saving Private Ryan" realistic like war movie but the movie gets stuck somewhere between Hollywood action/war entertainment and a serious war movie.

The battle sequences look too fabricated and planned out, which is of course a killer for the movie its realism. Sure the battle sequences all look fine and it obvious cost some serious money to make this movie.

Between all of the battles and action within the movie, there are lots of slow moments. Guess it tries to be deep or something, also about the Navajo-culture, in those moments but it instead feels pointless and often like a drag. Same goes for most of the sentiments within the movie. It's also the reason why the movie is quite long.

The movie is an underwritten one that for a genre movie is too formulaic. It's mostly a predictable movie that offers very few surprises or original moments. A shame, since the concept of the movie is definitely an original one. The movie also doesn't bother to tell where and why they are fighting. What are all these battles? Why are they being fought? And yes, of course the movie also finds room to put in a love-story. All of the character also remain pretty shallow one's, no matter how far they dig into their past.

Nicolas Cage just wasn't made for these sort of movies. The movie is filled with some other well known names in it and most of them do a good job. It's not like the acting is one of the weakest elements of the movie but that still doesn't mean that everyone was correctly cast.

It's definitely a watchable movie but its shortcomings just prevent this movie from being a great or really memorable one.

6/10

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Private Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) is a Navajo who is trained to be a code-talker in the Pacific. Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is a tough Marine sergeant who held his position in the difficult Soloman Islands. He is wounded with a perforated ear drum and have difficulties balancing. He fakes his medical with the help of nurse Rita (Frances O'Connor). He is then assigned the task of protecting the valuable code-talker and more importantly the code at all cost, implying that the code-talker must die rather than falling prisoner.

Director John Woo tries for a full blown war movie. It's not his usual fare. The action is certainly big enough. His usual style doesn't always translate into realistic action. Nicolas Cage doesn't seem to fit the character. I like Adam Beach better as the young naive soldier. The true story may be interesting but there are better war movies elsewhere. John Woo continues to use the close up reaction shots and the close up gun face off. It takes away from the gritty realism.

I think the closest film analogy I can come to in describing Windtalkers is that of Go For Broke, the MGM classic film that starred Van Johnson. It told the story of the division formed by the Nisei of Hawaii, Japanese-Americans who fought in Europe in the Italian theater. Johnson's not thrilled with the prospect of commanding them, but he learns to respect their spirit and by the end of the film has bonded nicely with his Asian troops.

In the Pacific Theater somebody got the brilliant idea to use Navajo Indian language as the code during battle. Up to that point the Japanese had broken all the codes the Marines had devised. That meant enlisting Navajos in the Marines to be given specific radio training.

The catch is that these Navajos become a most valuable commodity and have to be protected lest they fall in Japanese hands as prisoners. That's where Nicholas Cage comes in. His specific assignment is to protect Navajo communicator Adam Beach and his radio. Like a defensive lineman protects his quarterback.

Windtalkers unlike Go For Broke is not a story of the program itself. It concentrates on the special bond that forms between both Cage and Beach. To say Cage develops a political consciousness would be about right. By the end of the film Cage is protecting Beach for personal reasons. In fact there's a postscript at the end of the film with Beach back at the reservation that is beautiful and sublime.

Of course there's enough blood and guts for any war film fan as well as the Navajo communication program is given its first test in the bloody battle for Saipan in the Pacific. Still the focus is one the respect and friendship that Cage and Beach develop for each other.

Windtalkers, a really fine war film.