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Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo ... see more see more... , Brian Van Holt , Martin Henderson , Frances O'Connor , Roger Willie , Christian Slater , Jason Isaacs , Emily Mortimer

Loosely based on a real-life operation during World War II, this action-adventure from director John Woo stars Nicolas Cage as Joe Enders, a Marine traumatized by the loss of his entire platoon in the... read more read more... Solomon Islands during an ambush he believes was deadlier than necessary due to his indecision. Suffering from eardrum damage in Hawaii, Joe manages to be declared fit for duty once again thanks to a sympathetic nurse (Frances O'Connor), but his new assignment isn't what he expects. Joe is ordered to safeguard a Navajo soldier named Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) because the military has developed a new secret code based on the near-dead Navajo language that is proving unbreakable to the Japanese. Any soldier that speaks Navajo is an immediate asset, including Ben and his pal, Charlie Whitehorse (Roger Willie). Joe's orders are to "baby sit" Ben during the invasion of Saipan, protecting him if possible, but -- if the code-talker's capture becomes imminent -- to kill him before he falls into enemy hands. Meanwhile, Charlie is to be guarded by affable harmonica player Ox Henderson (Christian Slater). Joe reluctantly accepts this new duty as a way to get back into the war, and in the ensuing carnage, his nearly suicidal acts of bravery make him a hero while Ben becomes paralyzed by fear. Determined to live up to Joe's example, Ben musters up his courage, even in the face of racism from a fellow soldier (Noah Emmerich), and ends up rescuing his own protector behind enemy lines by briefly posing as a Japanese soldier. Despite their growing mutual respect, Joe is eventually forced to take an action that threatens to shatter his bond with Ben, as the war's tragic losses strike closer to home for both men. Windtalkers co-stars Peter Stormare, Jason Isaacs, and Mark Ruffalo. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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55% liked it

64,762 ratings

Critics

33% liked it

166 critics

R, 2 hr. 14 min.

Directed by: John Woo

Release Date: June 14, 2002

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DVD Release Date: October 15, 2002

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Stats: 2,838 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,838)

  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    worst WWII movie ever. Plus, the setting of WWII was already broken once Nicolas Cage came onscreen.
  • SirPant
    December 21, 2010
    SirPant
    In Windtalkers, John Woo takes a relatively interesting piece of War history and makes a thoroughly gratuitous, distasteful and disrespectful film out of it. At it's very best, it feels like bad theatre. A truly awful film with quite possibly the worst script ever written.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    August 6, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Windtalkers is by far one of the most innacurrate war films, I've seen in a long time. Nick Cage is very hit and miss, and Windtalkers is another miss for him. The plot is very bad, the actors, some good are wasted on this sorry excuse of a film. This is a terrible war film to av... read moreoid. This is a typical hollywood war film with really no research done, and it shows. A very bad film, with no elements in the story to make this a winner. This is a war film that will be remembered as a dud. Theres nothing interesting or good here. It's however a bad waste of time. Watch Letters From Iwo Jima instead.
  • ythelastman89
    May 2, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Not the greatest war movie or even close, but it's just really nice looking and well executed. It's got a really bizarre performance from Nicolas Cage because he's just so normal and real, showing once again that he does have a wide range of talent. The film's message is obvious,... read more but I really liked it all the same. You can't get someone better than John Woo to blow things up for you and still make it look tasteful.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Sorry, this one just didn't do it for me. Felt convoluted and uninvolving, not to mention, uninteresting.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    April 14, 2009
    FiLmCrAzY
    brilliant movie
  • garyX
    February 16, 2009
    garyX
    Traumatized WWII sergeant Nicolas Cage is charged with the safe keeping of a Navajo code talker and ordered to ensure he never falls into enemy hands-no matter what the cost. From the very start, it's obvious that this is a John Woo film; the combination of slickly directed actio... read moren, sentiment and XY pleasing heroics is exactly what you'd expect of him. Woo is essentially a one trick pony; he is very good at action set pieces and this is no exception. The battle sequences are very well staged but often times it felt like the action was a little too relentless. Cage bulldozes through the enemy forces like Schwarzenegger on PCP and it feels like the characters are just a little too disposable. For this reason, anyone expecting a gritty, believable war film should steer clear. But although the characters are rather stereotypical and the culture clash aspect of the story a little simplistic and patronizing, the cast are perfectly likable and it never descends too far into the kind of mush Woo is capable of at his worst. Not exactly deep or insightful, but it's a perfectly serviceable action film that just happens to be set during a war.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    October 6, 2008
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    This has got to be the most retarded war film I have ever seen. John Woo desperately tries to make this a cinematical achievement he didn't notice that the more big unnecessary explosions he makes the more retarded and boring this film gets. From the awkward action scenes to the ... read morehilarious and stupid dialogs, this film is every shade of wrong.

    I had to actually painstakingly tread almost over two hours of this crappy heap of junk shit. This film single-handedly destroyed one of my favorite film genres ever. They tried to blend in a backstory that concerns Sgt Enders' (Nicolas Cage) past and the wrong decisions he's made and it still haunts him after all this time yadda yadda. They tried to give Enders some sympathy votes from the audience because he was just following orders and all that stuff. I don't know about you but I really think this sympathy ploy failed miserably. Not that I'm a man with a heart made out of icicles , its just that the way the director did it is just too plain, dull, very un-involving and boring.

    The war scenes wasn't a sight to behold. The camera angles is way too awkward and from a a guy who've seen a lot of war films, maybe the actors needed more time in boot camp. Talk about awwwwwkard.

    John Woo should learn a thing or two from 'Saving Private Ryan' before making another war flick. This one is a disgrace to war film lovers everywhere.

    2/5
  • allan913
    August 22, 2008
    allan913
    An oustanding war movie. An engagging, riveting, deeply moving and excellent movie. A pulse-pounding and exhilerating action-packed drama. It's brilliant, absorbing, heart-pounding and extroadinary. A breathtaking and edge of your seat film loaded with explosive action sequences ... read moreand very powerful drama. Nicolas Cage is magnificent, turning a very powerful and stirring performance. Adam Beach is truly teriffic. Christian Slater is fantastic. One of Director, John Woo's finest achivements ever.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    August 8, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    It's a powerful movie with a fresh story. The likeable characters, and not the war action, are what make this movie good.

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Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel
September 19, 2008
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

The energy and conviction of the action sequences don't quite compensate for Windtalkers' emotional cliches and historical heedlessness. Full Review

Robert Koehler
September 19, 2008
Robert Koehler, Variety

A powerful premise turned into a stubbornly flat, derivative war movie. Full Review

Jeff Strickler
November 6, 2002
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The history is fascinating; the action is dazzling. They just don't work in concert. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
July 20, 2002
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

It's the best new battle film since Black Hawk Down. Full Review

Richard Roeper
June 19, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

A relentless, bombastic and ultimately empty World War II action flick. Full Review

Peter Rainer
June 16, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

I kept wishing I was watching a documentary about the wartime Navajos and what they accomplished instead of all this specious Hollywood hoo-ha. Full Review

Paul Tatara
June 15, 2002
Paul Tatara, CNN.com

No amount of burning, blasting, stabbing, and shooting can hide a weak script. Full Review

Philip Wuntch
June 14, 2002
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News

The screenplay sabotages the movie's strengths at almost every juncture. All the characters are stereotypes, and their interaction is numbingly predictable. Full Review

Desson Thomson
June 14, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Windtalkers' remains almost obstinately flat.

Stephen Hunter
June 14, 2002
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Feels slightly off-key, out of focus.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Windtalkers Trivia

  • who played "BEN YAHZEE" in WINDTALKERS ???  Answer »
  • Private Chick in Windtalkers, who am i???  Answer »
  • Which actor has starred in all of the following:- - Raising Arizona - Con Air - Snake Eyes - Windtalkers - World Trade Center   Answer »
  • In Windtalkers what language was the secret code based on??  Answer »
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