Windtalkers

Rating:
Summary: FUBAR'd from the opening title..
Review: For those who don't know FUBAR is something, well, ahem...shall we say messed Up Beyond All Recognition. This film fits the description. A travesty. Let's just say that if the USMC actually fought the way Nick Cage and John Woo would have us believe, sushi would have become popular in this country 45 years sooner. John Woo appears to think pyrotechnics make a movie. To be honest I have not yet been able to sit through one of his movies without loosing interest in the first 20 minutes of non stop gunfire.
This one makes a pretense of character development, but fails. Better he stick to making bubble gum for the eye for today's attention challenged generation of video game players and leave making historically accurate films to others. Yes, we owe a debt to the gallant Navahoe braves who fought and died in the war without any recognition till late, but they deserved better than to be trotted out for PR stints to promote this abortion. I mean I thought Saving Private Ryan set new standards for realizm even with it's flaws. But Mr Woo must have been sleeping during the period and learned his realism by watching reruns of "The A' Team. His combat scenes are reminicent of the 1950's where the bad guys can'ts shoot straight enough to hit someone 30 feet away and guns never ran out of ammunition, and an empty ration box would stop a .50 caliber bullet. I openly laughed as I watched the Marines march in convoy formation within full view of enemy occupied heights just asking for an artillery barrage to make their day. This film was rubbish and an embarassment to the USMC. Better rent Sands of Iwo Jima with the Duke, or the Halls of Montezuma with Richard Widmark.

Rating:
Summary: DIFFERENT STROKES
Review: Just having arrived from some distant galaxy, I find myself one of the few people who thought WINDTALKERS was an excellent film. It is far below the standards of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or WE WERE SOLDIERS, but I found the John Woo movie quite touching and involving. Haven't we come to expect cliches in war movies? What do you want? Soldiers who spout Shakespeare or have some deep philosophical beliefs? Dwarves? I found the cliches in WINDTALKERS the usual, but the actors bringing them to life did so with such finesse I found them interesting. Sure, we've been there and seen them all before, but life is full of repetitious, tedious people. The usual bigotry, honor, loyalty, fear, anger, frustration are evidenced in this movie. Woo, most known for his non-stop over the top actioners, tries a different approach in this one, and while it may not be his best work, it's a different view of this talented director. While Oscar winner Nicholas Cage is adequate in his role, the movie's best performances come from the supporting cast: Adam Beach, Roger Willie, Brian van Holt, Noah Emmerich, Martin Henderson, and Mark Ruffalo are great in their roles.
A little long, but wasn't the war long? I find the tribute paid to the codetalkers an appropriate kudo to the Native Americans who fought so nobly in the war. I liked this movie, but I must leave now for my distant galaxy. Later...

Rating:
Summary: This Should Have Been Better
Review: This a watchable film, however, given the subject matter it should have been more compelling than it is. Give credit to the main actors, Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach, for breathing whatever life the director, John Woo, and the screenwriters couldn't to this movie. The title of the film is "Windtalkers" but it may as well have been titled "Cliched World War II" movie. The film is more concerned with battle sequences (a.k.a. big explosions) than the subject it purports to be about. There are only cursory scenes that involve the training of the Navajo code-talkers. What follows are scenes with the platoon that consist of virtually every ethnic stereotype including the resident bigot followed by one battle scene after another. It's a shame because this film should have been so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Nicolas Cage Should Be Ashamed of Himself...
Review: I rented this video recently, being a big fan of the WW II genre, from the classics (The Longest Day, Patton, The Young Lions) to the more recent greats (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Enemy at the Gates, Das Boot). I was pretty sure I would end up buying it eventually on dvd, but couldn't wait to see it.
Boy, was I ever disappointed. This has to be one of the most wooden, trite, and cliche'd action blockbusters I have ever seen! Every overused action-film sequence is used one more time in this enormously over-long film. * (The "Baywatch" shot of Cage running on the beach to forget his troubles made me laugh out loud!)
Poor Christian Slater has little to do in this film but make his trademark "Young Jack Nicholson" facial expressions and spit out extremely cardboard dialogue.
Not only is this probably the worst war film I have ever seen, but an enormous disappointment considering the level of talent involved. Don't waste your time, rent Sands of Iwo Jima instead!

Rating:
Summary: All the better because it's true
Review: The contributions of the Navajo codetalkers have been ignored for far too long, and this movie gives an accurate picture of their heroism and their unique gift to American defense in World War II. The fact that racism made their service to their country even less appreciated makes this film all the more poignant to the viewer. Worth watching for the history, the patriotism, and fine entertainment. WOnderful to see this recognition of the Navajos, even in a Hollywoodized movie.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre effort for war movies, Nicolas Cage, and John Woo.
Review: Fans of good war movies, Nicolas Cage, or John Woo should look elsewhere on all accounts. This movie was a tedious bore. Unfortunately, there was nothing much that could redeem this failure, but the premise of the Navajo "code talkers" to establish communication across enemy lines was an interesting subject that hasn't been used before (to my knowledge). The acting from Nick Cage and Christian Slater was very flat, and those who are fond of Woo's action scenes (as I certainly am) will find great disappointment as the "feel of Woo" is almost completely absent here. Director John Woo has crafted some fine high-octane violent entertainment in his past (i.e., The Killer, Hardboiled, Once A Thief, Bullet in the Head). Most all have such wonderful visual flare & camera work that is undeniably HIS own.

For those who seek higher quality war films should not walk, but run to find BAND OF BROTHERS (the mini series is out on DVD now), SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, or PATHS OF GLORY. All of the latter are a definite MUST SEE and will surely become timeless quality classics.