One disappointed Woo fan

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 2003)

I'm a huge fan of John Woo, but find it a shame that the most interesting aspect of this particular story - how Navajo Indians were used as codetalkers during WW2 - is drowned by his trademark gung-ho gunplay. His common theme of brotherhood amidst adversity is present, but works so much better in his older films.
Plot set aside, it's all about slo-mo dives, blasting of countless, faceless baddies using guns with unfeasibly large ammo magazines, and corny dialogue that's mostly (and thankfully) drowned out by a thunderous soundtrack. What's left, aside from these numerous and bloody battle scenes, is worrying reminiscent of Pearl Harbor and other trash of its ilk. Clichéd characters (the racist, the dumb senior officer, the snow-white nurse), plot twists you can see coming a mile off, and some highly suspect reasoning that's confusing or just not properly explained.
Respect is due as always to one of the kings of the action movie genre, but there was a proper story that needed telling within all the carnage, and it needed a lighter touch to bring it out.