Too much of a good thing.

Rating: 6/10 (30 May 2003)

Windtalkers isn't a bad film, but even though I love war movies and explosions, John Woo's latest action movie perhaps crosses the line from cool explosions and amazing death sequences to having a fetish for explosions and death. I know it's intregal to the story to show the brutality of war, but with sequences lasting upwards of 30 minutes apiece it's a bit tiring. In Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg spaced out the encounters so that the story would be given ample time to develop and so that viewers wouldn't be overwhelmed. Mr. Woo does no such thing, and when the killing starts, it doesn't stop until the credits. Not that there was much of a story to begin with, but I do admire the director's choice to at least base this film in historical events. There really is so much more that could have been done, but even with solid acting and cgi, nothing can really save this orgy of gratuitous violence. Take my score of 4 out of 10 to heart before viewing.