Windtalkers

Rating: 4/10 (30 November 2006)

From director John Woo (The Killer, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II), I did see this film once before and give it a high rating, but the critics give it two out of five stars, so I had to see it again to confirm my opinion. Based on a true story, set in World War II, the U.S. Army Intelligence services are trying to create a new fool-proof encryption and communication code, that the Japanese code breakers will not be able to break. They find this in a Native Indian language called Navajo, and the people who use this way of talking are known as "Windtakers", and the latest mission for the army, besides defending their country, is to ensure this language code stays unbroken. The two men that must not come to harm are Private Ben Yahzee (Flags of Our Fathers' Adam Beach) and Private Charlie Whitehorse (Roger Willie), as they are the code talkers, and leading the mission to do this and do brutal battle to take Saipan is Sergeant Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage). As time goes by, Joe and Ben become good friends, but then again they do have their disagreements which turn into big squabbles, but they try to carry on for the sake of the mission, but in the end Joe is the one that dies. Also starring Christian Slater as Sgt. Pete 'Ox' Anderson, Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs as Major Mellitz, Bedazzled's Frances O'Connor as Rita, The Truman Show's Noah Emmerich as Private Chick, Fargo's Peter Stormare as Gunnery Sergeant Hjelmstad, The Kids Are All Right's Mark Ruffalo as Private Pappas and House of Wax's Brian Van Holt as Private Harrigan, The Ring's Martin Henderson as Private Nellie and Austin Powers' Kevin Cooney as Ear Doctor. Cage is alright being cynical and often distraught and angered, Beach is adequate as the young code talker, and the supporting cast of well known stars I suppose get their time, the secret code concept is fine, and the relationship between Cage and Beach is I guess important for the true element, but for me the only really interesting stuff to watch was the many explosions, quite gripping battles and many bloody moments, all in all it isn't really a film I'd see again, but it's not a bad Second World War action drama. Okay!