*** Official "WINDTALKERS" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Ben Motley]

Okay, I'm back! And I return to find this thread to be a hot topic! :rolleyes
Anyway, I threatened y'all with some reasons, so here ya go.
I thought the movie had just enough code elements in it to make it legitimate (the training sessions, although brief, and the few combat scenarios that were affected by code transmissions got the point across loud and clear), and enough of the internal struggle of the white guys, and enough of the "outsider" reactions of the Navajo dudes, to make for a great shoot 'em up film with heart. What I hear from people who criticize the film is that they wanted a factual account and a historical time-line of the Navajo language adopted as code by the U.S. military. Excuse me, but were these people not paying attention when John Woo was listed as director? They should have known right off it wouldn't be a friggin' documentary. Same problem people had with From Hell, which I also loved.
Don't get me wrong; I welcome the opportunity to watch a good documentary on the Navajo code talkers, and maybe with Windtalkers, someone may be compelled to make one - but I don't want to watch a documentary made by John Woo. The picture I saw is the one I wanted to see.

 

[Tino]

Sorry, I for one was not looking for a documentary.
I was looking for a well made action film with an interesting subject and characters that I cared about that told a story well.
What I got was an absurd, sloppily made, poorly acted cliched mishmash mess with stock footage and antiquated stereotypes that I could not care less about with a important story relegated to being a subplot. I guess I was asking for too much.:rolleyes
IMO, If you want a Codetalkers documentary, watch the History Channel. If you want a great action movie, you won't find it here. Happily the film is tanking. There is hope yet for the masses.
Oh and BTW, I also hated From Hell and it had nothing to do with it's historical inaccuracies. It had everything to do with being an insultingly stupid, horribly dull
predictable film with no entertainment value whatsoever. With over the top horrible acing by Johnny Depp and the vapid Heather Graham. Watch Time After Time instead for a great Jack The Ripper film. Want a cure for insomnia, watch either of these two sleep inducing disasters.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I think we have a difference of taste in one's film entertainment. I found the film kept my attention and made me care about the characters, while Tino actually sat through the whole thing while hating every minute of it. Sometimes it's good to cut your losses and simply leave the theater when you've had enough.
From our two different points of view, we saw two different films. I accept that. To continually slag the film just raises its awareness and might *gasp* intrigue others to contribute to the bottom line and go see something so wretched in a rubber-necking sort of way (sometimes, it's best to let sleeping "dogs" lie). But I digress.

 

[Tino]

Patrick
I never leave in the middle of a film no matter how much I am hating it. I figure that to truly hate a film, you have to suffer through the entire mess.
You're right though. Same film, two different (really different) points of view, and I too can accept that.
I just can't believe you enjoyed Windtalkers more than Minority Report!

 

[Brian Perry]

Dupe- sorry

 

[Brian Perry]

A horrible insultingly bad film in almost every way

Tino,
I'd hate to see a movie you give only one star to!

 

[Tino]

Brian
Ask and Ye shall receive!
Here are three films off the top of my head that were infinitely worse than Windtalkers:
Luc Besson's The Messenger; The entire film was akin to scratching ones nails across a blackboard for 2 1/2 hours and then sliding down a razor bannister butt naked!
American Pie 2; I didn't think anything could be worse than AP1. I was wrong. This disgusting film was spectacularly unfunny and embarassing to watch at the same time. A Porky's/Animal House wannabe with none of their charm or humor.
Milk Money.....'nuff said!
Windtalkers is Citizen Kane compared to those films!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Windtalkers is Citizen Kane...

- Tino, 8:02 PM, 24 June 2002
You heard it here first, folks...

 

[Patrick Sun]

"I'll alert the media."

 

[Paul_D]

Saw this yesterday. Didn't particularly want to see it, but I wanted to see something, and there was nothing else available.
I must say I enjoyed it. Sort of. It is cliche-ridden, and it predictable, and it is reliant on shots of soldiers being blown up in place of any sort of believable battle scenes or narrative flow, but it's so much better than MI2, which isn't difficult. With all the delays, the horrible advance screening reviews, and all the bashing in this thread, I expected an absolute turkey. It's a simplistic, average, copycat war movie.
Here's what I didn't like: the battle scenes are far too frequent. There's too much slow motion, and the characters are mindnumbingly bland, lacking the complexity of characters in similar war movies like The Thin Red Line. The script is dreadful. Bogging down the action with superficial musings on duty and friendship that just doesn't ring true. Easily the worst thing about the film is the character of Chic - a racist who learns the error of his ways when he's saved by Whitehorse. This kind of plotting, is so weak, so simplel, so offensive to the intelligence of an audience, that without it, the film would be so much better. Bad script.
I loved the premise, and the Navajo language, plus Adam Beach and the other Windtalkers were excellent. Far and away the best aspect of the film. Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater give decent performances given the material, but with better characters, both can be so much better. It's not a good film, but it's watchable, and well-made despite the poor script.