A John Woo style war movie
Some people may think that someone's head is cut off in the movie is unrealistic, but Japanese did it often in China during World War II. A interesting and John Woo style war movie. I am looking forward for his next war movie.

Without the Codetalkers, we might have lost the war
Sergeant Joe Enders (Cage) is cheating his hearing exam to get back out into the fight. What he doesn't know is that he's going to get assigned to a new duty, protecting the Code from the Japanese. On the surface, that means he's protecting a Navajo Indian soldier, a Codetalker, who speaks the one cipher the Japanese have not broken--his Native language. He's teamed up with "Ox" Anderson (Christian Slater).

He advises Ox: "I wouldn't get too friendly."

Enders is teamed up with Private Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach), who is so new he hardly knows how to handle the food rations. He doesn't plan to get involved with his new charge, but he ends up doing so.

This is a tough film to watch. It's very real, according to the veterans I have encountered. It's a testament to the bravery of these young Native soldiers who helped us win the War. Very well-acted and very well worth the time.

Rebecca Kyle, July 2008

Windtalkers
This film details how the Marines used Navaho's to secure their
radio and land line communications during WW II.
The Japanese were never able to break the Navaho native language
code and the success of this program was one of the bright lights
of the Pacific campaings. Lots of action.

Surprisingly good.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The characters were believable without drowning in their own melodrama. The action scenes were graphic but not gratuitous. I would highly recommend it! You can understand how Nicholas Cage's character is inevitably drawn into a relationship. Adam Beach's character was credible and not the least bit stereotyped. I half expected his character to be some Hollywood Native American step and fetch it but that was definitely not the case. He was wonderful and provided an insightful, nuanced performance.

Boo for Woo
Windtalkers: a story of a young Navajo Codetalker, fighting on the battlegrounds of Saipan. Windtalkers: Woo's pathetic attempt to elevate Native Americans from Hollywood's Tonto. So, why give this movie three stars? The actors in this movie were superb.
Newcomer, Adam Beach (and his gorgeous smile) did a fine job holding his own against co-star Nicholas Cage (whose slight eye and body movements were underscored by a terrible score). Lovable Mark Ruffalo zips in and out of scenes, provoding a strong character you pray makes it home alive. There are also numerous cameos and small roles given to the old-timers like Peter Stormare and Jason Isaacs add to the movie's strong cast.
While it is obvious that Woo had military consutants, he cheapened it with Hollywood melodrama. Over-the-top war scenes with rolling while simutaneously shooting, arm flailing deaths, and the curses at comrades between gurgling mouthfulls of blood. The abrupt closeups throughout the movie add wonderful cheese; it was perhaps the best special effect in the whole movie! The score's cliche cords threatened to overpower the actors and hindered the movie greatly. Let's not forget about the historically askew storyline, in which Marines are charged with killing codetalkers should they be caputred; it cheapens the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and Native American Codetalkers.
If you're looking for a historically acurate (or close to acurate) drama, Windtalkers is not it. I wouldn't buy this movie, but it's worth the money at Blockbuster. For now, the world still waits for a good movie about Native American codetalkers.