A good film that overcame much negative buzz.

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2010)

Though not a huge financial success, Valkyrie was certainly not the bomb that many predicted for months leading up to its release. There were problems during shooting with extras being seriously injured, problems in post-production leading to re-shoots. And of course the worst bad buzz inducing thing of all... the release date kept getting moved around. Had Tom Cruise's career finally come to an end??? That is really all we heard in 2008. Though Cruise does not seem to possess the box office clout he once had, it is actually nice to see him begin to transition himself into roles where he can actually play someone in particular. Not just be himself.
Cruise plays Col Claus von Stauffenberg, a decorated German combat officer highly critical of Hitler's war effort as the tide begins to turn during WWII. Stauffenberg was clearly not alone in military circles who were outraged at the actions of the SS and certainly knew Hitler had bitten off more than his armies could chew while running roughshod over Europe. After losing an eye, a hand, and some fingers on the other hand during action in Africa, Stauffenberg then devotes himself to joining with other like-minded officers and civilians to overthrow the increasingly eccentric dictator. Singer and company weave a tight and suspenseful story that looks authentic and isn't difficult to follow. And it is quite a feat to keep an audience on edge even when you know how things turned out in the end. Well, maybe with our lack of history in public schools these days, the younger generation might not know the ending. But try getting them to watch anything without 3D CGI anymore.
The film does a decent enough job of re-creating Berlin at the time. So much so that the filmmakers came under fire for using so many Nazi symbols. These may have been toned down in post=production as some media types here in the states claimed that there weren't enough of them visible. There is also the question of how much the film glosses over the Holocaust taking place concurrently. Just how much did these people know? Stauffenberg in the opening scene remarks into his journal about the killing of Jews, and later plans on closing the concentration camps after the new government has assumed command. But really, not much else is said about this issue. Really at the end of the day, Valkyrie is just a good historical thriller. Of course these work best for those of us who don't know every detail about the actual events and can swallow the Hollywood touches a little more easily. 8 of 10 stars.
The Hound.