Review of Windtalkers (2002) by Wersergg A — 13 Jul 2014

The world definitely did not need another war flick, no matter what conflict they are set in, but "Windtalkers" had an unusual story to tell that should have set it apart. Not much was known about the Navajo Code Talkers who helped secure an unbreakable means of communication for soldiers during World War II, and frankly, their story deserved a better treatment than this silly, melodramatic movie.

In fact, the American Indian's unique life-savinf device only comes into play three times during this two and a half hour film. The rest of this disappointing picture is filled with ridiculous war movie cliches and far-too-many poorly filmed battle sequences. John Woo is a terrific action film director, but this should have been a much more serious rumination on the horrors of war and the bravery of these newly appointed soldiers. Instead Woo draws on his action film background.

The battle scenes are bloody but have no emotional impact, and the overuse of slow motion that plagued the filmmaker's earlier films are even more distressing here. These scenes would feel more at home in a Chuck Norris "Missing in Action" picture that a serious drama.

As an actor, Nicolas Cage runs the gamut from great performances to just plain silly ones, and unfortunately, he does not give a great performance here. It's embarrassingly overwrought and borderline amusing. "Windtalkers" had an original story to tell, but what we actually get is far more conventional. These heroes deserved better.