Just perfect...

Great Film overall

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Windtalkers is by far the most inaccurate and unrealistic war movie I've ever had the displeasure of seeing. I was a fan of the film growing up, as explosions generally attract young boys. Now that I've matured it's painfully obvious how generic it is. The acting is sub par for a war movie, the genuine emotions of war are vacant in this film. The amount of explosions almost make me think Michael Bay was really behind this film, using John Woo as an alias. Nic Cage is a one man army, which is truly the most irritating part of it all. His character is equipped with an M1A1 Thompson SMG. The Thompson holds 20 rounds a magazine, yet I don't believe I saw Cage reload a single time. Besides his infinite magazine and ammunition, he single handedly kills dozens upon dozens of the enemy, which makes the rest of his squad appear utterly useless. Adam Beach gives a rather a dry performance, which further proves my theory that he's nothing but a mediocre Michael Pena. How he landed a role in Flags of Our Fathers, a war film light years ahead of Windtalkers, is beyond me. In one of the final scenes, where Nic Cages character (Enders) dies, I couldn't decide which actor was less believable. For your closest companion on the battlefield sacrificing his life for yours, you'd think he'd have a little more emotion as he says goodbye. Two dull leading actors severely hurt the more dramatic scenes. This film is a textbook example of clichés, predictable outcomes, crucial scenes ruined by mediocre acting, and so much more. The only reason I rated it a generous 4/10 was for the entertainment factor. If you discard historical content and the near insulting portrayal of war, the impressive (although sometimes overdone) amount of explosions and the abundance of extras can result in some very attractive shots. The bottom line is this movie is a very poorly done film in regards to the war genre, but as far as action goes its enough to keep you entertained. If you're a history buff like I am, you'll want to rip your hair out in the first fifteen minutes. If you're just looking for a solid action movie, this might just be enough.

Windtalkers is a war movie and one that some people may not have heard of. It's a mediocre war movie to say at best, but it does have its moments. There is a question of authenticity related to the movie. The story itself may be factual, but the movie's interpretation of the story is questionable. However, there are some redeemable qualities such as the fine acting, a good amount of action, and a solid score by composer James Horner.John Woo's film is about two U.S Marines named Ben Yahzee and Peter Anderson who are assigned to protect several Navajo codebreakers from falling into the Japanese hands.I did like the acting of the film. Nic Cage does a great job in the center role and he shows great chemistry with Adam Beach, the actor who played his Navajo Marine. Christian Slater does a good job as Anderson, and I also liked the performances of Mark Ruffalo and Noah Emmerich.Overall, Windtalkers is a war movie that is driven on a clichéd story. Some people may like the film, while others may despise it. I am stuck in the middle. I liked many aspects of the film, but other aspects were just doomed to failure such as the story and authenticity. But I will give the movie points in part due to Nic Cage's powerful performance. A loud, bloody, war movie is a good way to describe the movie.My Grade: C-

"Windtalkers" (2002) stars Nicolas Cage as a follow-the-orders-at-all-costs soldier who's assigned to protect a code talker (Adam Beach), a Navajo who speaks his native language on radio transmissions to conceal the data from the Japanese. Christian Slater plays a similar soldier assigned to another Navajo (Roger Willie). The movie details the Battle of Saipan and also stars Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Van Holt, Peter Stormare and Frances O'Connor.I was surprised by how good "Windtalkers" is. I say 'surprised' because it lacks the mass hoopla surrounding other WWII films, like 1998's overrated "Saving Private Ryan" (don't get me wrong, the first act of "Ryan" is great, but the rest of the movie leaves a lot to be desired. Remember the lame dog tag sequence?). The film was made by John Woo who knows how to make an exciting and colorful action flick, as witnessed by 1996' "Broken Arrow." "Windtalkers" cost a whopping $115 million to make and you definitely see it on the screen; unfortunately, it 'only' made back $75 million worldwide.Both 1998's "The Thin Red Line" and "Windtalkers" involve the Pacific Theater of WWII and the taking of Japanese-held islands. While I consider "The Thin Red Line" a nigh-masterpiece, it's too meditative and spiritual if you're in the mood for a straight war flick. When that's the case, "Windtalkers" satisfies just fine. Remember the incredible air raid sequence in 1979's "Apocalypse Now"? That's the impression I got with the opening scenes of the Battle of Saipan in "Windtalkers." Some complain that not enough emphasis is put on the code talkers, but the two Navajos are major characters throughout the story, particularly the one played by Beach. As for their actual code-talking, what else needs to be shown? The complaint holds no water.Others complain about the utter annihilation of throngs of Japanese soldiers, but the statistics support this: There were 71,000 allied forces and 31,000 Japanese soldiers in the battle. 'Only' 3,426 allied forces died, while another 10,000 were wounded, but 24,000 Japs were killed and another 5000 committed suicide, while 921 were taken captive. On top of this 22,000 civilians died, mostly by suicide, in obedience to the imperial order of Emperor Hirohito encouraging the civilians of Saipan to commit suicide promising them an equal status in the afterlife with that of soldiers dying in battle.Ultimately, "Windtalkers" lacks that special flair or perspective that denotes truly exception war movies, like "Apocalypse Now," "Platoon," "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Blue Max," but "Windtalkers" isn't far behind. The main difference is that it's more of a conventional war flick but, of course, that's all it needs to be.The film runs 134 minutes and was shot in Hawaii and the greater Los Angeles area.GRADE: B+

What a disservice to Italians from South Philly! I watched this film between TWO other war movies and every single time I tuned in, all I could view was this supernatural flying circus with fireworks proudly displayed. The Script in the Crypt Keeper was working furiously overtime. NOT!I truly wanted to decipher ;}} more about the Navajo culture and how they may have influenced the average white supremacist, and what an education! NOT!Why would their most precious cargo be forced to hit the front lines for such extended time frames. For example, I recall orders to head up this 99d incline with bombs flaring through the tree line and see 'waz up'. Very sensible game plan. NOT! Let's face it I was not there, but catch a few Duke war flicks and you will see, albeit, a more sanitized version, but so much more watchable and entertaining.When I saw the cutaway scene of one soldier with hair highlights, bleach tips and shining bangs over his eyes, I laughed so hard and thought this had to be intentional. Was this film an attempt at comedy? Please tell me affirmative sir yes sir! NOT!Just watching scene after agonizing scene with good ol' St. Nick with his pained expressions, and that lovely blood gurgling from his lips in many different congealment configurations, also gave me a clue that Woo is WooWoo.Thanks for the history lesson and a high five for the commercials!