Valkyrie Reviews

I've decided to review all of the movies of Tom Cruise that I've seen-- which I guess is actually only three: The Last Samurai, Valkyrie, and Minority Report.... And if I had to rank them, I guess that that would be the order that I would put them in, yeah-- just because I'm thinking of the guy. And.... Why could that be? (Seriously, though, this is nothing against Katie Holmes: I just like to keep myself amused.)

I think that I actually saw this movie with my brother in theatres, the day that it came out (!), even, which is *extremely* unusual for someone like me.... Even now. I mean, I *never* go see the, opening night, I guess you call it, right? Lol. (And I'm also not a big one for holidays.... Although going to stuff with my brother isn't so uncommon-- it's actually one of the only ways that I get out at all, to be honest, since my brother is a little bit more fiscally.... Well, it must have something to do with that he's a Taurus.)

Anyway, I suppose that I really liked this movie at the time-- although I kinda like it less now, that that I'm not as much of a WWII guy.... (My personal history is odd and difficult to explain, ha!).... But, yeah, at the time, I was enormously pleased with myself that there was this movie about this German dude-- whose name meant more to me than the name 'Tom Cruise'-- since I'd read about this whole deal in a book or something.... (Read: Wikipedia.) I guess I was also in this Germans-aren't-Nazis phase, I guess.... (But I know now that the better way to prove that is to read 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' or something.... Not about army officers.... *added to list of mistakes*....)

But anyway, given the choice again, I'd have picked something where the exposition about Nordic mythology-- which I'm actually quite into *now*, much more than before-- is given by someone other than Hitler.

And, you know, what was it that the guy said-- "We've got to make peace before the Allies are in *fucking Berlin*!" And some part of me was, like-- Oh.

But it was a decent movie. (But just like I just decided that 'The Last Samurai' was more of a '10' than a '9'-- I also think now that this is more of an '8' than a '9'....)

And maybe I even learned something....

(8/10)

Adolf Hitler committed suicide April 30, 1945. Valkyrie is about a group of men who are plotting to assassinate Hitler. Due to the information I have just given to you, you now know that by the end of the movie, Hitler will still be alive. This is a bit of a problem for Valkyrie, but this film does a relatively good job of making you forget about this conclusion.

The A-list cast does a more-than-excellent job at acting, though the actual character development is extremely minimal for most characters.

Valkyrie does something very smart at the beginning of the movie. We understand that the characters are all speaking German, but they speak English anyway. This eliminates the need for silly German accents, and is much less distracting. There are times when this is contradicted though, such as one scene where there is a woman singing in German, but these are forgivable.

Unfortunately, my compliments must end here.

Valkyrie is not an action movie. It is not placed under the action genre, and there are almost not action scenes in the movie. Valkyrie is a war movie. Does this seem contradictory to you?

I was surprised by the lack of action in Valkyrie, but a lack of action isn't necessarily a bad thing if the movie is entertaining enough. Unfortunately, Valkyrie is mostly just people talking and planning. The reward for waiting through all the talking? One explosion. Really, that's all.

For all the planning and talking and such, I expected a very elaborate plan to take place. The plan, though, is really not much more then setting a bomb next to Hitler during a meeting.

So I ask, how did a film with such a simple plot manage to stretch to a unnecessarily long, 2 hours? It seems that more time was spent thinking of one liners, than developing an interesting plot.

What was most agonizing though, was all the potential Valkyrie. Imagine if we were given flashbacks to Hitler's childhood. And what if there was some more background about the main character's marriage?

More story, a little more action, and some decent character development would've gone a long way for turning this mostly mediocre film into the masterpiece it just missed out on.

I know that those last years Tom Cruise has been more famous for his public shenanigans than for his movies but I still think he is an interesting actor. As a matter of fact, I have about the same feelings concerning Bryan Singer. Indeed, ever since his 'Superman' was a terrible flop, it seems that his career really has a hard time to recover and since ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ didn’t score either, it won’t change anytime soon, I’m afraid. Anyway, this time, they both worked together on this historical thriller and, in my opinion, the end result was actually pretty good. Indeed, the whole story was rather fascinating and thrilling, the movie was very well directed and the whole cast, even Tom Cruise, delivered some decent and believable performances. Still, it wasn’t really amazing though and the main issue with this flick, in my opinion, is that it was just too pedestrian and didn’t really take you by surprise at any moment. Eventually, it made the whole thing sometimes a little bit dull to watch. Still, in spite of its flaws, I thought it was a very well made historical flick, I enjoyed it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

My God! What a disappointment! This film was done completely wrong! This is an American film that is meant to be all Germany!! This film should have been a German film with the German language. This didn't even feel like it was a true story at all. To be honest, the only bit of credit I can give this film is that it had great cinematography and art direction.


This is a true story on the 20th July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of Germany. Before the plot, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus Von Straffenberg is severely wounded during a RAF air raid in Tunisia. He looses his left eye, his right hand and two fingers on his left hand. When he returns back to his home in Germany, it isn't long until he is ordered to assassinate both Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. Now onto the acting; not only was Tom Cruise miscast for this film, he didn't even try to pull off a German accent when he was playing a German. In fact, none of the actors did. One thing, though: Cruise did look like the real Claus Von Straffenberg. One thing I did notice: there were quite a few actors from the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy in this film. They were Bill Nighy, Kevin McNally, David Schofield and Tom Hollander. I thought it was daft that they were all cast together in this film because you think to yourself "Hey, that's blah-blah from Pirates Of The Caribbean!" To be honest, it wasn't just that this film was American that was annoying but the fact that the actors couldn't even try and pull off German accents to make the characters in the film more real, that was bad! The worst thing of all was the Hitler in this film! One: the guy playing him didn't look anything like him except the obvious moustache but the fact he spoke English and didn't have a German accent at all was really bloody annoying!


Bryan Singer, what were you thinking?! I mean, he is the director the first two X-Men's and The Usual Suspects! I thought he was better than this! A German director should have directed this instead. To be honest, Valkyrie was a very bad move for Singer. Not only because the film was shit but also because it was something different than he has ever done before except perhaps Apt Pupil.


Overall, Valkyrie is one of the biggest disappointments of all time. I really disliked this film a lot but the only good things about this film were the cinematography and art direction.

Kenellekään ei liene yllätys, että Operaatio Valkyrie epäonnistui. Siitä huolimatta elokuvassa onnistuttiin rakentamaan lieviä jännitteitä niin, että elokuva piti otteessaan.

Tom Cruisesta en ole koskaan suuremmin välittänyt, eikä hän tässäkään elokuvassa mitään järin loistavaa suoritusta tehnyt. Ammattitaitoisen varmaa esiintymistä, totta kai, mutta ei mitään Oscarin arvoista nyt ainakaan.

"Hitler is dead. Operation Valkyrie is in effect."

Valkyrie is a solid World War II espionage thriller, conveying one of the most staggering true stories in modern history. This is a motion picture infused with a rare story regarding the German Resistance that primarily concentrates on the overlooked heroism of officers and soldiers who actively fought against Adolf Hitler and his regime from within ranks of power. Directed by Bryan Singer (a man blessed with a virtually unbroken run of impressive work; his previous films including The Usual Suspects, X-Men and Superman Returns), Valkyrie manages to thrill and entertain the mass market, but it seems hardly worth the wait and effort. Singer's film is coated in an inevitable layer of thick Hollywood gloss, and is also lacking in vital depth. Screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander employ the historical facts of this remarkable true story (told rather faithfully) to construct the flick, but it comes across as well-oiled Hollywood entertainment rather than a sensationalist chapter of WWII. While not a bad film by any means, Valkyrie would've carried far more clout if it had emerged from the confident German film industry (with home-grown actors and a director to match) as opposed to the tired mills of Hollywood.

Sour industry buzz intensely enveloped Valkyrie as it was slammed unjustly since production commenced in 2007, facing augmented hostility that greeted the shifting release dates as well as the trailers that underlined the bewildering cocktail of British and American accents meant to represent the resistance movement inside the Third Reich. It turns out this bad press was merely conjecture; battling the odds and winning, Singer has handsomely directed this engaging, intense World War II thriller. It's not as bad as the negative pre-hype suggested, but Valkyrie still had the potential to be a superior flick.

The film covers a span of roughly 18 months, from early 1943 until the fateful final day. Valkyrie provides an examination of the workings of the German Resistance movement, wherein high-ranking officials with various levels of access to Hitler collaborate to bring to fruition a plot to assassinate their Fuhrer.
With Germany's loss in the war a predetermined conclusion to nearly everyone except for Hitler himself, these high-ranking German officers valiantly conspire to murder their leader, replace the government as peacefully as possible and implement a new regime during which they'd negotiate a peace. Consequently, a peace would spare the loss of more German soldiers and repair what's left of their country's legacy. The cunning idea is to use the German government's own emergency plan (dubbed Operation Valkyrie) against it. With each officer in the group assigned a different role, they propose to plant a bomb inside the Wolf's Lair (an enclosed bunker where high security meetings were held), killing Hitler and his staff before overthrowing the Nazi government from the inside. However, paranoia grips the schemers as success grows nearer. As anyone with a basic knowledge of World War II knows, Hitler would later die by his own hand.

"The point of replacing Hitler is to negotiate the truce with the Allies. The Allies, I suspect would be more amenable to a truce if we offer it to them before they get to fucking Berlin!"

The protagonist of the story, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), initially suffers serious wounds in Africa. Despite (or perhaps owing to) his injuries, Stauffenberg is recruited into the resistance, being introduced to the secret circle of conscientious objectors. The plan itself is complicated and never clearly explained by the characters (dialogue is fairly stilted), but the basic details are straightforward enough. This is a fascinating story to preserve on film as it's all-too-often neglected. It's curious to note, however, that the film eschews the details of the most famous casualty of the July 20 assassination attempt - Field Marshal Rommel, who was mistakenly implicated and committed suicide as a result. This oversight is likely owing to time constraints, but it's an unfortunate exclusion as it would have shown how far and wide the net was spread to obliterate resistance within the military.

"We have to show the world that not all of us are like him. Otherwise, this will always be Hitler's Germany."

The extremely obvious (and well-known) outcome of the story barely affects our immersion. Director Singer competently brews a substantial amount of suspense. A chain of near misses and tense decisions pinch a viewer with anxiety. Following a fairly sluggish opening act, Valkyrie transforms into a taut assassination game, and the suspense levels continue to elevate throughout the second half when the implementation of Operation Valkyrie develops into a battle of bluff between Stauffenberg's rebels and Hitler's media machine. The performances are especially strong here; each man conflicted as they witness the monster they believe they've killed sprout another head and pursue them. The outcomes of such biographical or historical films as JFK, World Trade Center and Malcolm X are also well known but it doesn't detract from the brilliance of those films. Therefore, why should Valkyrie be held to a different and stricter standard?

One of the most widespread criticisms is perhaps the most valid; the cast never speak in German accents, nor do they speak German. Nazi officials articulate faultless English while writing in German. The problem is addressed during the opening few minutes, during which German titles transform into English titles, and Tom Cruise begins talking in German before beginning to speak English. The implication is that the characters do speak German, but for the sake of being a slice of Westernised entertainment a viewer hears them speaking English (a tactic first employed in The Hunt for Red October). Nevertheless, this is a fault too blatant and baffling, and it's consequently difficult to overlook. Once again, German filmmakers should've committed this ignored piece of history to celluloid.

"I'm a soldier, but in serving my country, I have betrayed my conscience."

In different hands, Valkyrie would've been a deep examination of the people involved, their motives and fears, and maybe even their personal lives. If Valkyrie provided further insight into the lives of these fascinating historical figures, it'd be a more thoughtful and therefore better film. Stauffenberg may have been maimed in the war, but his disenchantment with Hitler predated his injuries, and the film hardly explores this. Instead the film spends lots of time trying to prove that he's a great man. However, whether he was nice or mean is beside the point in the long view. Screenwriters McQuarrie and Alexander needed to dig into Stauffenberg's character and explore the reason why he decided to take such risks. They instead give Cruise the WWII equivalent of his character from Mission: Impossible.
Also, were the co-conspirators simply patriotic Germans, or did they have a deeper motivation for committing treason? With a few exceptions, we never really know. Valkyrie simply feels too underdone, as if heavily cut in the editing room. It seems to have been re-cut to be less of an Oscar-bait drama and more of a popcorn thriller; while serviceable as the latter, it might have been a better film as the former.

Singer dives into the material with plenty of zeal, moulding the assassination plot into an eye-catching, jaw-clenching movement of urgency, utilising the characters as chess pawns on the board game of Germany's future. Singer's work has generated a well-directed chronicle of misbegotten patriotism, with emphasis on sharply angled Nazi ornamentation, beautifully photographed by Newton Thomas Sigel. Several scenes were filmed on location in Berlin (using many locations where actual events occurred, including the Benderblock). In some instances where a certain location no longer existed, it was meticulously recreated. However, what's missing here (but effortlessly captured in films like Black Book) is any sense of the horrors of war, the maniacal evil of the Nazi regime, and the corrosive effect on civilians. The Berlin depicted here is too pristine and glossy...it's unmistakably a Hollywood production. The grittiness and brilliance of 2004's Der Undertang (Downfall) should have pervaded a film covering this source material.

David Bamber's physical resemblance to Adolf Hitler is effective enough for the few scenes in which he features, but it almost goes without saying that he doesn't come close to Bruno Ganz's astonishing portrayal of the dictator in Downfall (which was a far more gripping and riveting flick, in no small part because of Ganz).
Tom Cruise is adequate as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Much controversy was sparked about Cruise taking on such a role, to the point that the German government forbade filming in their country due to his scientology cult (eventually permission was granted). Cruise is surprisingly strong, infusing his performance with a crucial level of emotionality. The actor never entirely immerses himself into the character, but his appearance is ideal. If only Cruise delivered dialogue in a more German fashion...
Once you accept English Nazis, you can easily accept the great cast - including Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp and Kenneth Branagh who play old-school soldiers with stiff upper lips. Tom Wilkinson is a slimy delight as a Nazi official who turns a blind eye to the operation as opposed to actually helping. Eddie Izzard, Kevin McNally and Christian Berkel also appear (among others), and all hit their marks delightfully.
Carice van Houten, who was so remarkable in the WWII drama Black Book, is given minor screen-time as Stauffenberg's wife. (It's worth noting that another Black Book cast member, Waldemar Kobus, also appears in Valkyrie. In the former film he played a piggish Nazi officer, and here he's a police chief who collaborates with the resistance.)

"Long live sacred Germany!"

Taken merely as a genre piece, Valkyrie is an engaging but incomplete thriller. Its illustrious cast do their jobs adequately, but the story could have benefitted from further insight into the men who tried to kill Hitler. At the end of the day it's a tense, competently-crafted thriller that accurately communicates a story of bravery and betrayal. But when Hollywood has the last word, something dies. It ultimately feels like the story has been taken advantage of, and skilfully repackaged as entertainment for money purposes.

6.7/10

''I'm a soldier, but in serving my country, I have betrayed my conscience.''

Based on actual events, a plot to assassinate Hitler is unfurled during the height of WWII.

Tom Cruise: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg

The story of Valkyrie(2008) starts by giving us a haunting memoir of the Nazi oath of allegiance to Hitler, a token of total obedience to the Fuhrer, to Hitler. We are given the title transitioning from German to English.
Valkyrie opens with a Colonel Stauffenberg in a Nazi campaign of Africa, penning in a personal journal his thoughts about World War II, and how he feels Hitler is destroying Germany. Stauffenberg states he took an oath to swear allegiance to Hitler, an oath we were given in the beginning of the film layed on the Nazi flag, but our Colonel feels he owes more to Germany, the Fatherland, Sacred Germany. Shortly after, he enlists the help of a general played by Bernard Hill, in a relatively small part, he agrees, yet tragically the camp in Africa is attacked, the general killed, and Stauffenberg is badly hurt, losing his eye, his right hand, and two fingers from his left hand.



The Operation Valkyrie of the title, was a plan developed for the Reserve portion of the German Army and approved by Hitler himself. It was intended to be used in the event of a breakdown in law and order within Germany or the countries it occupied; A breakdown caused by Hitler's death or civil unrest. A group of officers who were a part of the German Resistance to Hitler, could see the way the war was heading, that Europe was the casualty of War and Germany after success in the beginning begins a spiraling descent into defeat, they plotted to kill Hitler and utilize an amended Operation Valkyrie for their own ends to take control of the nation after Hitler's death and to negotiate a truce with the Allies.

The plot was lead by Colonel Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) whom was put in charge of Valkyrie and made Chief of Staff to General Fromm, after being badly injured fighting in N. Africa.
Tom Cruise manages to play a very typical Tom Cruise part; In which he is the main hero and the story indeed revolves around his character. Yet he manages to portray a certain passion and vibrancy in his efforts to bring to life a man from the pages of history.
Tom Wilkinson plays General Fromm, whom was commander of the Reserve Army, and the only person apart from Hitler who could put Operation Valkyrie into effect. Tom Wilkinson can play a tough talking, no nonsense character and with his General Fromm role he manages to sway with whoever holds the power. In this case Hitler surviving the attempt on his life shows that he remains loyal whereas if he hadn't he probably would of gone along with the plotters attempts of running the Country.
He ordered the execution of Stauffenberg and the other plotters but ironically was later executed in 1945. Other plotters included Colonel von Quirnheim (Christian Berkel), Lieutenant von Haeften (Jamie Parker), General Beck (Terence Stamp making a rare appearance as a good guy) and Fellgiebel (comedian Eddie Izzard – who is the most miscast Nazi.) Bill Nighy as General Friedrich Olbricht; I mean Bill Nighy playing a Nazi? Bryan Singer indeed does like a laugh in his casting decisions.
They all relatively excel with their roles and scripting, apart from under-used Branagh and camp Izzard. The location shooting is perfect, often using the real life settings in Germany (for instance the plotters are executed by firing squad in the courtyard of the real Bendlerstrasse.) The lack of German accents (widely commented on) is quite confusing sometimes and yet sometimes you forget this is supposedly happening in Germany.
In some ways the film also seems somewhat English at times with so many veteran Actors from the United Kingdom taking part which also may confuse depending on how you interpret the story and film's execution.
Thomas Kretschmann, Christian Berkel, and Carice van Houten at least give the film more of a European German feel aside from the other cast members.
As for David Bamber as Hitler; This is certainly a rather quiet version of the infamous leader of The Third Reich in comparison and relation to the masterful performance Bruno Ganz gave us in Downfall.

Overall, Valkyrie is a historical, accurate portrayal of a group willing to stand up against what they find to be corruption and decadence; a man whom sacrifices so much for his Country and one whom is willing to stand up to one he has sworn an oath to like many others. This film Bryan Singer has given us, works in ways historically bereft of storytelling, it clicks and it also gives us a tense thriller laced with intrigue and entertainment.
Great costumes, great locations, and great cinematography all give the project elevation in the cinematic stakes.
With Valkyrie we all know how it is going to end, but it's the journey up until that conclusion which makes the whole project so compelling.

''Long live sacred Germany!''

Ok i liked this movie and you should watch it too when you have the chance and if you already have well you know how good it is but,it did not make my top 10.