Off the mark... (Slight Spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2003)

"Windtalkers" was a movie I was definitely looking forward to from the time I saw the teaser on TV. I've been a big fan of John Woo for several years, as well as a fan of Nic Cage ever since I saw "Leaving Las Vegas". That said, please do not confuse these two things with the fact that I enjoyed this movie at all.
From the opening of the film until the credits, I was absolutely lost on why I should actually care about the story being told. My grandfather fought and was wounded on Saipan, but this film didn't even begin to convey the story of those battles during the Pacific campaign. Sure, we see Cage's character in his lowliest of times in the opening sequences of the movie, but for some reason...they look and feel like exactly that: a movie. There is no real heroism aside from one or two events that are flat-out depressing, and there is no successful cinematic attempt to portray what was going on as the very real nightmare that it was.
Woo, IMHO, has always been about conveying feeling through any sort of means. Whether it be bloodshed, tragedy, heroism, or sheer irony, he has always succeeded on some level. But within this film his technique and form just feel static.
Now, on to the acting. As one might expect, Nicolas Cage does his usual bit of soft-spoken and understated emotion, which more or less works for the film's entirety. It is the rest of the cast that is lacking in their portrayals, and therefore, substantially lowers the effect of what is attempting to be said through the film. Christian Slater DOES do an excellent job with the little talent he has for dramatic acting, and Peter Stormare fits the part. Sadly, that's about all that can be said for the acting in this film. Also disheartening is the fact that the good acting in this movie is not what is focused on, rather the character of Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) seems to take center stage next to Mr. Cage, and therefore, his inadequacies shine through in every scene. Not only does Beach seem insincere, he also seems completely lost, and his character's transformation toward the end of the film seems silly, to say the least.
The saving grace of this film is the few and far between effective battle scenes. All in all, "Windtalkers" is disjointed and off-the-mark. If you're looking for a more interesting take on war, check out Woo's "A Bullet in the Head" - it's not a war epic like "Windtalkers" attempts to be, but it most certainly conveys it's intended message.