Windtalkers : Les Messagers du vent

Loosely based on the true account of the Navajo code talkers comes this gritty WWII action movie. Joe Enders (Cage), a hard-charging Marine deeply haunted by the memory of an operation that went horribly awry, is assigned to protect Navajo code talker Ben Yahzee (Beach) whose dialect is being developed as a potent weapon against Japanese forces. As they begin to develop a mutual respect for one another, Enders is burdened by his orders to protect the code...at all costs. Woo's powerful battle scenes are impressive, however they're disappointingly one-sided, and the film's attempt at emotional resonance is marred by corny humor and routine writing. It's not particularly insightful, considering the film's promised content, as well as gruesomely violent with an air of familiarity. **

This is the film for you if you are in one of the two following categories: 1--Tired of slasher films because there are too many bloodless gaps, 2--You raise pit-bulls and train them to attack children. Even if you're one of the above, you will probably be weary after about the 50-th scene of a blazing body flying through the air in slow-motion. I'm sure I saw several scenes repeated---even John Woo got tired of shooting this stuff.

There's a Point of View shot through some binoculars and the lenses are all scratched. I liked that bit. And that was it. I just started to write out all my many, many criticisms but realized it would take far too long and this film is not worth any more of my time. If you've already seen it then you have my condolences. Set in 1943, the script reads like it was written in 1943. I would hope audiences had gotten a little more sophisticated since then, and judging by the box office, they have.

Being a Navajo, I was so excited to share the story of the Navajo Code Talkers. But after seeing the movie I was very disappointed on how the story was told or how it wasn't told. I thought the movie was going to be about the History that wasn't never taught in the classrooms, but it was more about Nicholas Cage. Another issue I had was Adam Beach playing a navajo role, not being navajo himself. It totally made me mad to see someone totally chopping up our beautiful native language.

This was by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen (for a major Hollywood release). They took a fascinating story and totally ruined it. The historical, political, and emotional significance of the actual story could have made a great movie. Instead we got Nicolas Cage as the oldest corporal in the history if the modern Marines Corps, lousy directing, lousy locations (filming in the desert when the action is supposed to take place on a Pacific Island--do they think viewers are stupid?) After watching this, I really felt like the director and studio just threw this together as quickly as possible after the actual code talkers were recognized by the US govt. Hollywood should be ashamed.

This movie reminded me of another crappy movie, Black Hawk Down. Very thin story and honestly too much shooting. In the end one just wishes the movie to end, and some even left the cinema before it ended. Even the attempt to include a lovestory fails, the acting was ok I guess when you consider most lines were "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!", "I'm hit!" and other memorable frases like that. If you wanna see a well made war-story then get hold of Band of Brothers, now there is a golden egg for you. If you on the other hand want mindnumbing, idiotic entertainment then by all means it's your money. Me, I wished I'd set fire to my money and watch it burn, would've been way more entertaining. X.