Windtalkers

During their Pacific campaign the US used Navajos speaking in code to confuse the Japanese.  So for example, "tank" becomes "tortoise", "artillery" becomes "many big guns" and "Cilla Black" becomes "rabid squirrel with nose job".       
                                                                                
"Windtalkers" concerns Joe Enders (Nicholas Cage) a tough marine who is paired with altruistic Navajo Ben Yahzee.  What Ben doesn't know is that Joe's mission is to kill Ben if he falls into enemy hands.

Consequently, Joe keeps his distance which isn't too difficult since he's a man of few words, wracked with guilt over the death of all the men in his last command.

This is like a cross between "Sands of Iwo Jima" and "Saving Private Ryan".  It's got the documentary style brutality of recent war films - beautifully orchestrated by John Woo - but the idealism of earlier films in which heroism is celebrated and sacrifice is noble.

Despite the action - and there's plenty of it - this film is more about the 
characters and how Ben's idealism gradually rubs off on Joe while Joe's 
cynicism threatens Ben's innocence.  Adam Beach is good as Ben, Nicholas Cage is in Clint Eastwood mode as the moody marine and there's good support from Roger Willie* and Christian Slater as another paired codetalker and marine.

Unfortunately, Woo can't resist adding some Rambo-esque invincibility (it takes 50 bullets to stop an American, while the Japanese keel over if you look at 'em funny).  This cheapens the film and stops it becoming the classic it could have been.  7/10                                                                     
                                                                                
*  Which is a great name for a character in a "Carry On" film or the next film in the "Free Willy" series.