Competent Story Telling, but Problem with the Star

Rating: 5/10 (18 June 2009)

In a film like this, there is really nothing to spoil because everyone knows how it would end. I watched the video of "Valkyrie" in several installments, but the flow of the story was no problem. The story being told was very interesting -- the plot to kill Adolf Hitler by German patriots led by Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) and its aftermath. The direction by Bryan Singer was very exciting and suspenseful, holding my interest successfully.
There were so many competent character actors there, not everyone was convincingly German though. My main problem with the whole movie is the lead actor himself, Tom Cruise. He is too much of a star to make his portrayal of von Stauffenberg convincing. Even with the eye-patch, he is still Tom Cruise. He did not disappear into the role, as would have been ideal for a movie like this.