Poor script sinks 'Windtalkers'

Windtalkers -- R
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach
Directed by: John Woo
Showing: Showplace West 12 Auteur John Woo is without a doubt one of the finest filmmakers in the realm of action cinema, whether that be stateside ("Face/Off") or in his native Hong Kong ("The Killer" and "Hard Boiled"). His bullet-riddled movies of blood engulf both viewers' senses and emotions. Unfortunately, his latest effort, a war film entitled "Windtalkers," while good, will still manage to disappoint many viewers. Nicolas Cage ably headlines the flick as hardened soldier, Sergeant Joe Enders. He is a ghost-like shell of a man haunted by memories of his first botched position of command -- futilely defending ground that was anything but defendable. Enders, the sole survivor of this bloodbath, receives medical treatment from a pretty nurse ("A.I." alumnus Frances O'Connor) in Hawaii, and proceeds to take part in the battle of Saipan upon partial recovery. During the siege, both Enders and an affable Sergeant by the name of Ox Henderson (Christian Slater) are assigned to watch over a pair of Navajo code talkers, Privates Yahzee (Adam Beach) and Whitehorse (impressive newcomer Roger Willie). Unbeknownst to their charges, Enders and Henderson have been ordered to kill the men, if deemed necessary, to keep the code from falling into Japanese hands. What could have been an incredible film in the hands of an accomplished director such as Woo, is essentially pilfered away. First off, the screenplay by John Rice and Joe Batteer is far short of stellar. Interesting characters are dumbed down into mere war movie archetypes. You've got your racist redneck soldier (Noah Emmerich); another soldier who yearns for nothing more than his wife (you might as well fit this dude for a toe tag, pronto!). And don't even get me started on Yahzee. Beach is quite likable, especially considering his role is relegated to smiley, "Little Injun that Could"-status. Cliched dialogue and macho Semper Fi b.s. shortchange the plight of the Navajo. Woo's heart seems to remain in the battlefield, and true to form, these action-oriented sequences shine despite James Horner's overbearing and oftentimes distracting score. All of the Woo flourishes are present -- birds fluttering about poetically, men bonding through music, Mexican standoffs and men unloading guns with arms akimbo. And believe it or not, Woo's stylistic signatures elevate the film beyond its piss-poor script. It's just not enough to compensate or compete with other recent war films, which more vividly recount the horrors of war i.e. "Saving Private Ryan," "Black Hawk Down" and "We Were Soldiers." "Windtalkers" isn't a bad film, just a flawed one.