not informative or creative enough

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2002)

Loosely based on the true account of the Navajo code talkers comes this gritty WWII action movie in which U.S. Marine Joe Enders (Cage)—deeply haunted by the memory of an operation that went horribly awry—is assigned to protect Navajo code talker Ben Yahzee (Beach) whose dialect is being developed as a potent weapon against Japanese forces. As they begin to develop a mutual respect for one another, Enders is burdened by his orders to protect the code...at all costs. Woo's powerful battle scenes are impressive, but they're disappointingly one-sided, and the film's emotional aspects are marred by corny humor and routine writing. Not particularly insightful, considering the film's promised content, as well as gruesomely violent with an air of familiarity. **