Movie Info:
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Kevin McNally
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: December 25, 2008
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99
I had heard quite a bit about Valkyrie while it was being made. Most of the information had to do with filming locations and Tom Cruise. Apparently, the Germans are not a big fan of Scientology, and as such, they are not a big fan of the poster boy for this pseudo-religion. While I thought that denying camp locations for filming just because of Cruise was amusing, his personal religious beliefs (and the thoughts of the Germans) had no bearing on whether or not I would see this film.
In all honesty, I had to think long and hard about seeing Valkyrie. I have problems seeing movies with actors that fail to captivate me. When I watch a Tom Cruise film, I often have to struggle to see the character. He always remains Cruise to me, and with his more erratic behavior in the past, it’s hard to watch him and not think of those moments. The actual movie gets lost because it is all about Cruise.
The one thing that convinced me to watch Valkyrie was the subject matter revolving around WWII. In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting periods in history. Even though there have been hundreds of movies filmed on the subject, when the next one is released I will probably be in line to see it. So, for me, Valkyrie was a given, even if it meant having to sit through Tom Cruise to see it.
As with most movies there are some good and bad elements to consider. The most impressive aspect is that Valkyrie is based on a true story that hasn’t been talked about much, especially in film. For people that grew up with the misconception that Germans (during this period in history) are all evil, this gives you a chance to see that some knew what the Nazis and Hitler were doing was wrong. Not all of them believed in the Final Solution, and some of those that didn’t were willing to fight for what was right.
Bryan Singer caught my eye awhile back when I first watched Apt Pupil. With that movie in mind, it seemed that Valkyrie would be right up his alley. This is a film that has all of the makings of success. It offers a truly interesting story, amazing actors, and a skilled director. Still, when you put all these things together you end up with a movie that is good, but not amazing. Making a WWII film puts you in a league with some stiff competition. This isn’t going to be the next Schindler’s List or The Diary of Anne Frank. It’s not even as powerful as The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This is where Valkyrie becomes somewhat confusing.
Valkyrie is a movie with a director that handles delicate subject matter very well. The acting talent of stars like Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, and Bill Nighy add credibility to the film, before you even watch it. The story is engaging. The tone is where you would expect it to be. Still, something allows you to forget the movie. I think the absolute biggest problem for me is the recognition factor that does not exist. I outwardly recognized two men in this film. I knew who Wilkinson and Cruise were. I knew their character names and what they were about. The rest of the movie I struggled quite a bit with knowing who the actors and their characters were. They were hard to distinguish from one another, despite the amount of screen time that you spent with them. It’s difficult to be interested in people when you refer to them as “the guy with the glasses” or the “moustache man.”
The Valkyrie Plot
The entire premise of Valkyrie is the true story of a bunch of German, Nazi soldiers and politicians that believe that Hitler’s Germany is bad for everyone. With that in mind, these brave men exact a plan to assassinate Hitler, believing it is the best for Germany and the rest of the world. Operation Valkyrie, as it is known in the film, was the final assassination attempt ever made on Hitler.
Colonel Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) comes into the group after he suffers the loss of an eye and hand in a military incident. Stauffenberg does not believe that German lives need to be lost anymore than they already have been. When attempting to come up with a plan to allow Germany a chance to return to the land of the living, he begins to look at the Valkyrie ordinance. Under Valkyrie, the Reserve Army is deployed to maintain order.
Of course, the ordinance on its own will not work. Stauffenburg and the others need to enlist the help of General Friedrich Fromm (Wilkinson). Fromm, the head of the Reserve Army, has the ability to initiate Valkyrie and though he is interested in gaining more power for himself, he initially refuses to help the men with their plan. It is only when he is backed into a corner when he reconsiders his position.
Stauffenberg is by far the most daring. He goes as far as having Hitler sign the redrafted Valkyrie order himself. Hitler, more interested in commending the solider, does not realize what he is signing and allows the new order to be put in place unknowingly. Still, we all know that Hitler’s assassination does not go as planned. That being said much of this movie shows the resulting aftermath of a plan gone wrong to assassinate one of the most memorably evil man in history.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
There aren’t too many things to complain about when it comes to the visual transfer of Valkyrie. The biggest problem with this 1080p AVC transfer is the ultimate lack of fine detail. When watching Blu-ray, overall detail of the film is one of the things that make watching the movie so exciting. In many cases it gives you the opportunity to feel like you are in the movie.
That isn’t the case here. The transfer is good, but it’s not as eye popping as you would assume that brand new movie is going to be when it makes its way to Blu-ray. Like I said, the quality isn’t bad, it’s just not as befitting of the Blu-ray quality as I would like. The colors are decent, but again, not eye popping. The blacks are fair and everything looks fine. However, when you’re paying significantly more for a different format and the quality is not like it should be, it feels pointless. This quality, while average, is not the best Blu-ray quality. You’d be better off saving some cash and going with the DVD.
The audio for Valkyrie offered more than the video, though it still had a fault here and there. The English audio is handled with a DTS-HD Master Audio track. Surrounds are used well, sound effects sound strong and robust, and the dialogue is pretty easy to hear. I found the sound to be on the lower side, so I ended up having to keep it higher for dialogue only to be drowned out when an explosion filled the screen. This was a minor annoyance though and something that wasn’t much of a problem, especially since the explosion sounded amazing. I would have liked the sound to be more evenly handled, but this was manageable. It was perfect in the important areas.
You could feel the shaking of the walls during explosions and hear the whoosh of the planes as they zipped by, making for a dynamic experience that only added to the movie. In addition to the English audio there are Spanish and French tracks in Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are available in English, French, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Valkyrie comes with a number of special features that are worth watching. You get everything from a handful of featurettes to two commentaries. It’s a complete pack that will only add to the enjoyment of the fans. Where the commentaries are concerned, one is handled by Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and Bryan Singer and the other is done by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. I skimmed through both and from what I could tell, both offered something worth listening to. I am not a huge fan of Cruise, but while listening I can say that I was not annoyed too much.
“The Journey to Valkyrie”: This 16 minute featurette looks at the history of the movie from day one until the film was finished. You can see interviews with cast and crew discussing a wealth of things including the theme of the film and various details concerning how Valkyrie was made.
“The Road to Resistance: A Visual Guide”: This is one of the most interesting featurettes because it is hosted by Philipp Von Schulthess, the grandson of Colonel Stauffenberg. While it feels brief, this featurette offers a look at Stauffenberg’s life, including German locations that offer meaning into Stauffenberg’s life and the things that he did.
“The African Front Sequence”: At seven minutes long, this featurette takes you through the beginning of the film. Film buffs should enjoy how the sequence is analyzed in several different ways. It makes for an interesting featurette.
“Taking to the Air”: Various segments of the film are shown here and experts are interviewed about the use of the planes in the film.
“Recreating Berlin”: If you are interested in knowing what the crew did to find the locations used to make Berlin look like it did during WWII this is the featurette for you.
“92nd Street Y”: This is one of the longer featurettes in the bunch, lasting for almost 40 minutes. A live audience sets the stage for an interview with Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer. Together they talk at length about the story itself and various elements of the film. This was quite interesting, though I have to admit it could have been a little bit shorter and still retained the appeal, possibly even making it more appealing.
“The Valkyrie Legacy”: The final featurette is by far the longest, at nearly two hours long. This documentary is incredibly in-depth and well worth watching. The documentary is directed by Kevin Burns and it talks about the movie and the true elements of the story, but the exciting part is when the rise and ultimate fall of Hitler are discussed. This was an amazing documentary and I hate to say it, but it was almost better than the film.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Before watching Valkyrie I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I have had some major issues with Tom Cruise and his ability to captivate me in recent years. That being said, I was able to overlook Cruise in this film and actually see his character. I can only attribute this in part to an excellent supporting cast, great writing, and a compelling storyline. Even though this is a true story and the outcome is known before you watch the film, if you do not know much about this page in Nazi history (or even if you do) it’s well worth watching. If you’re not a huge fan of war movies, you might want to rent this, but I highly recommend you check it out one way or another.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Blu Ray, Blu-ray Review, Valkyrie , Tom Cruise, True Story, Nazi, Germany, Hitler, Assassination, Operation Valkyrie , War, WWII, Movie, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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