Two powerful and gritty war films have recently hit home video with the release of Windtalkers and We Were Soldiers. This is not a comparison review as these films reflect different wars and times but are powerful in their presentation and are both note worthy for their awesome special effects and realistic portrayal of battle scenes.

While originally publicized as a tribute to Native American soldiers and their special code, this film really deals with the battles in the South Pacific and how the war deeply affected two soldiers brought together by the special code. Nicholas Cage is haunted by his own survival in a previous battle and wants to get back to avenge his platoons murders. He is assigned a special duty to guard a Navaho Indian, played with passion by Adam Beach. As Cage deals with his nightmares of the past, he also learns much about the Navaho culture from Beach and other Native Americans in his platoon. Christian Slater plays Cage's opposite in war, a young man who is still idealistic and dreams of returning home after the war. Of course, there is also the platoon bigot, who learns in battle to respect the Native Americans, which is highly predictable in the storyline. The Cage character is complex but underdeveloped. While the acting is emotional enough, Cage never really opens up in the film for anyone, including a nurse played by Frances O'Connor. Beach's role is central to the entire screenplay but he is given a backseat to Cage's character and his troubles many times. In the end, the film leaves you with a unfulfilled longing for a better ending.

The battle scenes are fantastic and almost unreal as director John Woo pulls out all for the special effects. Battle gore is especially gruesome in some scenes as different body parts fly in all directions. The most incredible scenes involve widescreen shots of the battle, complete with planes and massive explosions. Sound is excellent for this type of film with explosions and bullets whizzing all around the home theater. Channel separation is excellent.

Very little is included on the "Windtalkers" disc, with only theatrical trailers. This disc had the potential for a real look at the World War Two "Windtalkers" and left out a lot of potentially interesting material.

Good acting, predictable storyline, and battles in a John Woo scale make this disc a good rental for action fans. Could have been better though.