MGM was scheduled to release their interesting war action film Windtalkers on Veterans Day last year but after 9/11/01, they decided to postpone it as they would have had to start promoting the film in October and they decided against it. Time will tell if the decision was a good marketing move for MGM, nonetheless John Woo's action skills in a war film make for a good and entertaining combination in this well-done movie.
The story behind Windtalkers is based on a true one, the story of how towards the end of World War II the U.S. military used the Navajo language as a code so that the Japanese could not break. Nicholas Cage (The Family Man, City of Angels) plays Sergeant Joe Enders, a man who has experienced great losses already at the point in the war that the film opens. Then, he is assigned to protect a code talker, Private Ben Yazee (Adam Beach), a Navajo code talker from Arizona. They take on a challenging and critical assignment on a Japanese island.
The story holds your interest; it really is different to see so much ethnic culture in a war movie. There is old wooden windpipe playing and ancient Navajo rituals being carried out. There is also a lot of violent action with breaks for dialogue and character development and then boom you jump out of your seat as Woo sends another explosion our way. This is not a film that is all battle or completely focused on one situation such as Blackhawk Down. It is more of a traditional war film along the lines of Saving Private Ryan but nowhere near as slow and boring. Not only is it a war movie, it is a movie about friendship.
The acting is quite good in this film, Nicky Cage seems to be wishing he could get nominated for an Oscar again to prove that Leaving Las Vegas was not a fluke. His portrayal of the pained alcoholic Sgt. Enders is one of the best performances he has given in a real long time, but I doubt it will get him Oscar recognition. Like last year's great Enemy at the Gates, sadly, this film will be long forgotten by Oscar time. Adam Beach is also good as Private Yazee.
Overall this is a movie for the people who like a good war movie or a good action film. It delivers on that aspect and even gives us something different by educating us on a lesser-known aspect of World War II, the Navajo Code Talkers. A well-rounded film that is genuinely entertaining and even heartwarming at moments.
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