Windtalkers

Rating:
Summary: Woo Me.
Review: The name John Woo and the words action/thriller are synonymous. I would never say that a movie battle scene was good, but I will say that the battle scenes in "Windtalkers" were excellent. Very real. Very terrifying.

Combining John Woo with Nick Cage was a stroke of genius. If you saw either Face Off or ConAir, which weren't bad, you will quickly see that Mr. Cage may have given his best in this film. I was impressed.

I was equally empressed with Adam Beach's preformance. His constant smile gave an almost calming effect to that calamity we call, war.

The story is based on a truth. The Marines did enlist Navajo Indians to radio code using their own language. They were called "codetalkers." In this film Nick Cage is assigned to protect the Navajo codetalker and to protect the code.

He is in a difficult position. Beach's character is totally likeable. But if Nicholas Cage, as Joe Enders, becomes to attached to Adam Beach, as Ben Yahzee, should Ben be captured, Joe will find it difficult to complete his assingment, which is to kill Ben.

Music by James "Titanic" Horner, direction by John Woo, and solid preformances by Nicholas Cage and Adam Beach make "Windtalkers" one very well done movie.

Rating:
Summary: Defense of Woo
Review: The best John Woo movies are basically about the same things: Man's inner struggle with things like honor, duty and maintaining some sort of code of ethics, no matter how skewed that code may be. Often, his characters are amoral or struggle with some terrible secret, often they become so caught up in their duty that they forget their duty to themselves. Windtalkers is pretty much classic John Woo, in all it's corny, over-the-top glory. All that Navajo business is just window dressing, a gimmick. This is the story of a Marine looking for some sense of salvation. He has lost his humanity and he doesn't know how or if he will ever get it back. The only sense of self worth he feels is when he is killing the enemy. It's a shame to dump on this movie just because it isn't what people expected it to be. John Woo isn't Steven Spielberg, and thank GOD for that. This is a morality play dressed up as a two fisted combat film. Quit criticizing it for what it isn't and just enjoy it for what it is: 100% Woo!!!

Rating:
Summary: Action Aglore!
Review: I just saw Windtalkers in the theater. Being an eight-old child during WWII, I involved himself in the war by keeping a scrap of newspaper clippings about our G.I.'s victories. This movie has a good touching story of the problems of Cage's and the Navajos native, Adam Beach. But the real star of the movie is the war action depicted by the director, John Woo. If you like action, explosions, combat then this is your movie to see! I hope that the producers of the movie don't hestitate putting it out on DVD. I'll buy it immediately. It's a war story winner!

Rating:
Summary: Anothe Success for the "Action Master," John Woo
Review: There is great beauty to be found in life, as well as great ugliness; and often it is where you look and how deeply you feel that will, in the end, determine your perception and either open your eyes to it or cause you to miss it completely. In this film, director John Woo manages to find beauty amid the ugliness and brutality of war, and it is that vision of the beauty of a greater good, inherent in the indomitable spirit of mankind, that he seeks to offer for the consideration and contemplation of his audience with "Windtalkers," a film that transcends the violence it depicts to discern that omnipresent aspect of the human condition that is defined by the gentleness and compassion of which it's very core has been forged. More than a film, this is a journey, the intent of which is to open the eyes and the mind; and to those with the courage to assent to it, the heart, as well. It's a brutal film. And it's a beautiful film. And in the end, it will be whichever you deem it to be; it all depends on how deep you want to look. Or how deeply you want to feel.

Saipan, 1944; the U.S. military has implemented a code based on the Navaho language that is virtually unbreakable, and it is imperative that it remain so during their drive to secure this island, which is an important stepping stone on the way to the final objective: Japan. The Japanese, meanwhile, would like nothing better than to capture one of the "codetalkers," from whom they could extract the information vital to their efforts against the American forces. It is therefore vitally important that none of the codetalkers, all of whom are Navaho-- and all Marines-- falls into enemy hands. Toward that end, a personal "bodyguard" has been assigned to each individual codetalker; the charge given to Sergeant Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is Private Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach), a personable young Navaho with a wife and young son back home. Yahzee has volunteered because he wants to help his country. But that information, as well as anything about Yahzee, Enders does not want to hear about or know. And the reason is very simple: his mission is to protect the code, not the man; and under no circumstances is Enders to allow Yahzee to be taken alive by the enemy. So if the moment of truth ever arrives, the less Enders knows about his charge, the easier his job will be. He's a good Marine, and he has demonstrated in an earlier conflict that he will do his duty, no matter what. It's the reason he was chosen for this assignment. So as they venture forth into the fray, the objective is clear in Enders' mind: At any cost, protect the code.

John Woo is the absolute Master of the action genre, and with this film he once again demonstrates what sets him apart from others who may aspire to that which Woo has achieved in film after film. Quite simply, he refuses to sacrifice story for pure action. Instead, Woo goes to great lengths, as he has here, to deliver a solid, emotionally involving story, presented through some of the greatest action sequences ever filmed. The battle scenes he stages are, without question, the predominate force in this film, and they are graphic, but not gory; and just as Spielberg did with "Saving Private Ryan," Woo very straightforwardly addresses the very real brutality of war without resorting to sensationalism or manipulation to engender shock value. Even in the heat of battle, Woo's focus is not on blood and guts, but on the drama being played out in the lives of Enders and Yahzee, as well as the others we have come to know and care about, like "Ox" Henderson (Christian Slater), and his charge, Private Charlie Whitehorse (Roger Willie).

Wonderfully staged and beautifully filmed by cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball, Woo's film is visually stunning and emotionally engrossing, and succeeds where others of the genre have failed: "The Thin Red Line" had the visual poetry, but lacked the human element; "Black Hawk Down" was brutally honest but did not engage emotionally. Woo succeeds on both fronts with this film, which is not so much an historical depiction of the "code" and how it was used, as it is an examination of the moral challenges posed by war and the courage it takes to confront them, presented by Woo primarily through the characters of Enders and Yahzee, and with a sensitivity and some insights into the human condition that is generally lacking in most "action" films.

As Enders, Nicolas Cage turns in a solid, honest performance in a role which, some years ago, would have seemed custom-made for Steve McQueen. In Enders, in fact, there is more than a touch of McQueen's Jake Holman from "The Sand Pebbles." With an introspective approach, Cage very quickly and convincingly conveys so much about who Enders is and what makes him tick. And allowing Cage those "moments" in which he so capably develops his character, and putting the drama of the story on an even keel with the action, is a big part of Woo's formula for success. Cage, as well, refuses to allow the action to take precedent over his character and the story, and he deserves to be commended for it, as the film is better because of it. Cage and Woo are a good team, in fact; they complement one another artistically, and their collaborative efforts here definitely take this film to a higher level (which was also the case with Woo and Tom Cruise with "Mission Impossible 2").

The supporting cast includes Mark Ruffalo (Pappas), Peter Stormare (Gunny), Noah Emmerich (Chick) and Frances O'Connor (Rita). From the ethereal opening frames to the end, supported throughout by a hauntingly wistful score by James Horner, "Windtalkers" is another triumph for John Woo, and his best "American" film yet.

Rating:
Summary: Provides the right ingredients to pump up discussions...
Review: I've seen this movie and loved it for the following reasons:

1. It pumps up my respect for the Navahos, their culture, and cheer their long-over-due honor
2. It shows that war is incredibly nasty... just examine the casualties in the two battles show on the film.
3. From the caualities seen in this film, who would ever deny the importance of the Navaho code to World War II. After seeing the film, I'm still wondering how many prospective casualies the code prevented since its introducion.

4. John Woo's love for action and ballet-style moves do exist in this film. This film bombards out plenty of action scenes and those bodies being scattered over the air and ground are seen in slow and distinctive ballet-moves.
5. Our real service men are diversified in cultures, philosophical ideals, and different modes of up-bringing and grooming. The cast playing the marines definitely support the diversity theory. Who ever dare say discrimination doesn't exist during those days?
6. Glad this movie is not done in slow documentary style that will either bore the general non-academic folks, or prevent the Navaho topic being discussed by a wider audience. This film will definitely be see by a wider world population.
7. I cheer the performance of all actors, including Cage. Could definitely feel their change of attitudes toward their fellow marines within this film. And Cage looks like one true confused individual (just surviving to kill!) at the beginning, but manage to show his humane side (relationship bonding in the battlefield) at the end. Even the nurse has a credible role. It's her blind love (for Cage's character) that allows him to get back to work. What woman would risk her job to lie for her man, if not for love? Obviously she must be so deeply in love to keep writing those letters!
8. Even though I'm confused as to whether the "shoot to kill to safeguard the code" is fact or fiction (have heard different sides to the story), I thought the concept, provided by the script writer, does succeed in stressing the crucial importance of the code.
9. Love the way the personalities of the Navahos are portrayed. Don't they match the gentle and unassuming attitudes of the real-life Navahos? After all they've never harped or imposed their importance upon the nation all these years?
10. Sure the film is history decorated by the frills of Hollywood and by those manificent and costly talents of technological aspects, but that's what make this film attractive to a wider audience. Yes, as a result, it does bring the awareness of the Navahos and their code on a broader scale. So what, the contents don't adhere completely to facts. Forgive my saying, the majority of folks watching movies are smart enough never to take any movie as holding gospel truths!
11. Yep, I'm rating it 5 stars. Why, it has the ingredients that spike my and many people's interest about the Navahos and their code, and at long last spur up interest to their relevance in history!

Well done "Windtalkers"!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed....
Review: What could have been a presentation that would have brought honor to the Dine [Navajo] people is merely an action film that makes several references to the CodeTalkers. Probably no more than ten minutes is actually devoted to the Navajo people.

On June 13th in Pueblo, Colorado, I attended a presentation by Samuel Sandoval, Teddy Draper and Keith Little [CodeTalkers from Shiprock, New Mexico]. The presentation was fantastic--- the film was a dud. I had hoped that the film would tell us more about the Dine [Navajo] people and how the environment and culture helped the young Marines excel.

Ten minutes on the internet will provide a wealth of information about the CodeTalkers--- the entire WindTalker film presents little information. What could have been an exceptional film about an unknown aspect of WW II is no more than a shootem-up movie: lots of action with zero plot and little information.

The old [1955] film Battle Cry probably does a better job of presenting the Navajo CodeTalkers.

The value of the film is that it does alert 280 million Americans and the remainder of the world how young men from missionary boarding schools of the desert were transported to the jungle wars of the Pacific.

An exceptional beginning or ending of the film would have been to actually present scenes from a current Code Talkers Association meeting. No narration--- just shots of the men and the locations of their fighting. But, maybe the purpose of the film was not to humanize the Dine or the Marines of WW II.

Rating:
Summary: Awful acting, detestable directing, thin plot
Review: My wife and I were excited to see Windtalkers. With my wife being a US History teacher, we expected to see an intriguing story centered around the Navajo marines who used a secret code to help win the battles in the South Pacific during WWII. Instead, we saw John Woo's version of a war movie, which happens to be abysmal. Let me say this right now - SAVE YOUR ...DOLLARS, SEE SOMETHING ELSE! By taking one for the team and spending my own hard earned money to watch this film, I hope in some way I can save many other hard working Americans their time and effort. The action scenes in Windtalkers were violent, confusing, and jumbled. They all started to look the same. I wanted more of the secret code and how it changed the war, instead of seeing guys getting blown up by mortars. In all, I walked out shaking my head in disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: All explosion - no story
Review: If this movie had actually been about the Navajo "code," it might have been a decent movie. Instead, out of 2-1/2 hours, about 1/2 hour is devoted to dialogue and the other two hours devoted to gory, loud battle scenes - they are endless - in this case, less would have been more. Unfortunately, instead of empathising with the characters, you become numb from watching body parts flying across the screen.

The move is about Nicholas Gage's character and the two Navajo Indian characters are merely incidental to the plot. The scenes where they are actually sending code are good and you only wish there had been much more about how having the code helped win the war.

Rating:
Summary: Realism Achieved. Trust Me!
Review: I sw this movie opening weekend and the reason I liked it - was because it was real in characterizaion. Why do I know this? I went with a REAL Najavo from the REAL Navajo reservations in Arizona who was a REAL Marine. Good enough for you?

I thought this film was much better than Speilbergs "Saving Private RYn". It was very graphic and fast paced like all John WOo films. It was filled with CGI, Special effects, stunts and lots and lots of graphic viloence - but it had one thing that most modern day wasr stories these days do not have - characters I cared about.

Based on true events and the history of WWII being asissted by the Najavo Nation language - this movie was real. All the actors worked hard and long and Woo moments to capture a "slice-of-like" during war time was very well done.

I was happy, sad and regretful and Nicholas Cage was a very deep woven character and often did physically say much, but said so much more with his looks and body deminor.

This is a good film (who mature enough) for the younger audiences who want to see the respect and majesty that the Najov People have for life, love, fienship and honor.

A very good film! My friend also agreed. (And he doesn't like long (2:15 hours long) movies too!

Rating:
Summary: Bizzare violence, yep. It's John Woo!
Review: I really wasn't expecting this less-than-perfect film to be that
great...and it wasn't. But it is worth a trip out to the movie
theater to see, though. But when you go, expect what you usually
see from John Woo. Cool action, Extordinary adventure and a
usuall Woo film.** and a half (out of 4)