Valkyrie

Genre: Action, Drama
Director: David Singer (Superman Returns)
Cast: Tom Cruise (Mission Impossible series), Kenny Ortega, Bill Nighy, Joe Johnston, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard
Runtime: 121 min

Plot:

During World War II, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) is severely wounded in Tunisia, and is evacuated home to Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, Major General Henning von Tresckow (Branagh) attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler by smuggling a bomb aboard the Führer's private airplane. The bomb, however, fails to detonate and Tresckow safely retrieves it to conceal his intentions. After learning that the Gestapo has arrested Major Hans Oster, he orders General Olbricht (Bill Nighy) to find a replacement. After recruiting von Stauffenberg into the German Resistance, Olbricht delivers von Stauffenberg to a meeting of the secret committee which has coordinated previous attempts on Hitler's life. The members include General Ludwig Beck (Stamp), Dr. Carl Goerdeler (McNally), and Erwin von Witzleben (Schofield). The Colonel is stunned to learn that no plans exist for after Hitler's assassination.

I watched this on 14 Feb @ The Cathay with Sylvia.

There were a series of German related movies these days, and Valkyrie is one of them. The movie talks about the assassination of Adolf Hitler, carried out by the code Operation Valkyrie which involves the deployment of the Reserve Army to maintain order in the event of a national emergency. The plotters carefully redraft the plan so that they can dismantle the Nazi regime after assassinating Hitler.

Tom Cruise portrayed as Colonel Stauffenberg, who was being ordered to carry out the assassination. I always felt that Tom Cruise looked best in uniforms and this movie proves it once again, even if he was without an arm and eye. He even had to act with one of his eye not moving.

The movie was well-paced and easy to understand. Everyone has just one goal, either to follow the Führer or oppose him. Audience can also learn a bit of history out of this movie as this was the last known attempt out of 15 ones to assassinate Adolf Hitler. And I must say that the actor portraying Hitler does look very much like him.

Not so much of a war film but a planned operation to remove the powerful leader but failed to accomplish. Else History will be changed and Stauffenberg will probably be the hero.

ah-deng says: 3/5 Felt Tom Cruise could have performed much better.