Tom Cruise Movie:

		List Price: $39.99		Label: United Artists Salesrank: 2054 Released: May 19, 2009
		Our Price: $14.75
		Used Price: $8.00
		MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
MGM Valkyrie (With Digital Copy) (Blu-ray)"Tom Cruise gives one of the best performances of his career" (Jeffrey Lyons, NBC/Reel Talk) in this action-packed film from the director of "The Usual Suspects" and "X-Men". Based on the incredible true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and his ingenious assassination plot targeting Adolph Hitler, this engrossing thriller reenacts the daring operation to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Co-starring Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and Eddie Izzard, "Valkyrie" delivers gripping suspense and pulse-pounding excitement from start to finish.

Description of Valkyrie [Blu-ray]:
Unpretentious and dramatically straightforward, Valkyrie is a suspenseful yet ennobling story about the last attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler prior to the end of World War II. Tom Cruise is effective if a little opaque as hero Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who channels his anger at Hitler's atrocities and mismanagement of the war by joining a secret organization bent on killing the Führer. When the outspoken Stauffenberg hits on the idea of linking Hitler's death with an official policy to safeguard Berlin during a government crisis--a contingency plan called "Valkyrie"--the group realizes a post-assassination coup could be covered by rapidly implementing the plan. History tells us the plot failed, of course, and Hitler killed himself months later. But that doesn't stop Cruise or director Bryan Singer from approaching the film as a thinking person's thriller, told from inside the conspirators' camp, where the outcome of their deeds were uncertain for several tense hours.

In the tradition of The Great Escape, Valkyrie is a war movie full of famous faces, including Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard. (The lesser-known David Bamber is very good as Hitler, hunched and cracking under pressure.) The film's gravity is offset a bit by the fun of seeing all these actors in a factually-based slice of history, and by a few, interesting stylistic flourishes on Singer's part, including the peculiarly unsettling image of a mosquito sizzled to death in close-up. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Valkyrie (Click for larger image)

Valkyrie [Blu-ray] Reviews:
Gripping
2009-12-21 - I am a big fan of Tom Cruise movies, ever since "Risky Business" and "Top Gun". Except for the Katie Holmes idiocy, he has done no wrong in my book. The story and screenplay keep you on the edge of your seat, and the BluRay experience adds to the enjoyment.

Outstanding film and Cruz does not disappoint
2009-12-20 - The story of Count von Stauffenberg's plot to kill Adolph Hitler is one of courage, determination, and of course tragedy and treachery. Count von Stauffenberg believed that it was his Christian duty to kill Adolph Hitler and came closer to doing so than anyone else ever did (and there were many attempts.) This film is faithful to History and represents the best telling so far of the plot to kill Hitler. Tom Cruz does not disappoint as von Stauffenberg, and even looks quite a bit like the real Count von Stauffenberg who was a handsome and charasmatic man. I am glad that they did not try to have Cruz adopt some fake-sounding German accent. (Remember the horrible New England accent Kevin Costner tried to adopt in 13 Days? Perhaps Hollywood learned its lesson!) The equipment, uniforms, and sets of this film are carefully and accurately done and really do transport the viewer to Nazi Germany in an almost uncanny fashion. This is a high budget film and it shows.

The storyline of this film moves along at a deliberate and fast pace, and keeps the viewer's interest throughout. There are a few slow points, but not many. The film accurately depicts the difficulties that the plotters faced, particularly Count von Stauffenberg himself, who was missing most of his fingers and who accordingly had physical difficulties even activating the acid fuse of the bomb. Alas fate intervened and the world had to suffer many more months of Hitler's evil existence. But not through any lack of courage by Count von Stauffenberg.

Highly recommended. RJB.



Great movie
2009-12-18 - I thought Hitler died in that bunker for a second, but then I remembered when I studied history that he didn't. They had me going there for a second though...

Too bad the plot failed to get the mad paperhanger...
2009-12-17 - We all know the historical outcome, but this movie is worth watching to fill in the details about how the plot was hatched. Unlike many reviews, I did not have a problem with Tom Cruise in the lead role. It is a good movie, but not at the height and depth of character of cast in Downfall starring Bruno Ganz. I wonder how the end of WWII in Europe might have been different if the plot had succeeded...

German Christians killed 6 Million Jews
2009-12-16 - Hitler was given moral support from the Church, Both, The Catholics and the Protestants. This is a fact.'

Millions of German Christians who were Hitlers Willing executioners were church going Christians.

However, in this movie, they tried to portray this Col as a "Good Christian" trying to rewrite history.

This is a good movie but for that propaganda.