Windtalkers

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Windtalkers

R

2002

2h 14m

War

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

33%

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163 Reviews

50%

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50,000+ Ratings

Marine Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is assigned to protect Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) -- a Navajo code talker, the Marines' new secret weapon. Enders' orders are to protect his code talker, but if Yahzee should fall into enemy hands, he's to protect the code at all costs. Against the backdrop of the horrific Battle of Saipan, when capture is imminent, Enders is forced to make a decision: if he can't protect his fellow Marine, can he bring himself to kill him to protect the code?

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Critics Consensus

The action sequences are expertly staged. Windtalkers, however, sinks under too many clichés and only superficially touches upon the story of the code talkers.

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

Mar 16, 2020

Woo reminds us that wars are fought by people; this is what makes his film great.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 29, 2010

3/5

War film relies too much on relentless violence.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Sep 19, 2008

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

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Oct 1, 2026

3.5/5

While neither incarnation of the film can touch John Woo’s very best, his reach doesn’t exceed his grasp as much as the version of record would suggest, and it’s worthy of reappraisal.

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Jason Caro

Radio Times

Aug 18, 2026

2/5

Woo and Cage seem to be going through the motions - or worse, taking themselves too seriously.

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Ed Travis

Cinapse

Nov 17, 2018

It's a great director doing what he does best but ultimately not really doing justice to the Navajo code talkers story.

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Clint C

@Dudeme Aug 8, 2026

Great movie! Man-buns are trying to judge 1944 by today’s standards and thinking it’s "tropes". I think they need a safe place.

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Jolin S

@RT79409888 Oct 19, 2025

Kris: Cage and company were at their best portraying marines fighting in impossible conditions while protecting the Windtalkers and keeping them from capture at all costs. I also can not believe the total ignorance of critics saying there was too much violence. It’s a war movie for goodness sakes. Watch cartoons if you can’t watch the utter violence war movies are supposed to show. Windtalkers is a must watch movie for any/all war movie fans and like I mentioned earlier cartoons for the rest 😉

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 18, 2025

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e as cenas de guerra salvaram o filme.

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Daniel C. M

@RT91944882 Aug 24, 2025

One of John Woo's most underrated movies. Despite the editing being weird and offputting many times, the rest of the movie was great, both technically and storywise. I saw in the Portuguese dub, so i can't judge on wheter the acting was good or not properly. But, the story and characters were great to follow, it has great themes and message. I really enjoyed overrall the look into unknown and underrepresented stories of war.

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Argyle T

@Argyle Aug 11, 2025

A story that could have been interesting ruined by the nick cage show..awful acting and terrible dialogue...avoid

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Nigel S

@Funkleberry Aug 9, 2025

Thought it was a pretty solid war film. Yes, it was cliched but held my interest if you follow war films. The suggestion that it was too violent, is ridiculous. Combine John Woo with WWII and thus is what you get.

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Windtalkers: Official Clip - I Blew Him Up

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Windtalkers: Official Clip - The Death of Sgt. Enders

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Windtalkers: Official Clip - Saipan, June '44

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Windtalkers: Official Clip - Yazhee Fights Chick

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Synopsis

Marine Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is assigned to protect Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) -- a Navajo code talker, the Marines' new secret weapon. Enders' orders are to protect his code talker, but if Yahzee should fall into enemy hands, he's to protect the code at all costs. Against the backdrop of the horrific Battle of Saipan, when capture is imminent, Enders is forced to make a decision: if he can't protect his fellow Marine, can he bring himself to kill him to protect the code?

Director: John Woo
Producer: John Woo, Terence Chang, Tracie Graham-Rice, Alison R. Rosenzweig, Holger Gross
Screenwriter: Joe Batteer, John Rice
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Lion Rock Productions
Rating: R (Pervasive Graphic War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.9M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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