Windtalkers only incidentally about codetalking [Spoilers]

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2002)

When I learned the name of the film, I was expecting a lot about actual moments where the codetalkers provided a significant intelligence and strategical advantage over the Japanese, after all, the film was named after them. Oops, the viewer will not find that.
The film provides a very solid Nicolas Cage performance. I was reminded of Pearl Harbor in that the action seems repetitive, the script becomes a vehicle for the actor, (could anybody leave Pearl Harbor without knowing Ben Affleck?!) and historical details get sacrificed for Hollywood polish and formula plot. When the soldiers arrive in the village I was expecting a Bat 21 kind of reluctant murder given Enders' hesitance to kill, or a Peckinpah slaughter of civilians. Instead the thousands of bullets miraculously miss all children, no doubt due to some form of Catholic intersession.

After I gave up on raw codetalking, I expected a stronger finish, bringing the viewer back to the present and providing screen time for real-life codetalkers a la Schindler's List. Instead, we just get Yahzee honoring the memory of Enders and passing on the story to the next generation. The story of the Navajo impact on WWII needs to be told, but this movie simply fails to live up to its title. See the film with the full widescreen effect, but not until it hits the cheap second-run theatres.
Plus: The close-up, tender, out-of-focus treatment of Enders (Cage) as we gain background on his life. Minus: The entire character of Nurse Swelton (O'Connor) could have been edited out without impacting the plot. Perhaps her purpose will be more evident when we see a director's cut.