Valkyrie Blu-ray Review

Of the 15 known attempts to assassinate German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler during his reign, none was more ingenious and close to succeeding as “Operation Valkyrie”, spearheaded by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise). The May 19th Blu-ray release of Valkyrie, from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment and directed by Byran Singer, presents this thrilling story based on true events.

Despite his notorious rule as dictator of Nazi Germany, Hitler was despised even by some men in his own ranks. The challenge for these men was to organize a way to remove or eliminate him without drawing too much attention, and without running into those loyal to the cause. Because of his outspoken attitude about the direction of Germany, his intelligence, and his ability to get close to the German leader, Colonel von Stauffenberg takes the lead in this elaborate and dangerous mission. This puts his family, and himself, at risk.

Valkyrie provides insights into the detailed plan organized by Hitler himself, which involved a special group of guardsmen who were on permanent standby should a coup attempt occur within the German army. The Colonel’s plan was to use these special troups to help seize control of the government following the execution of Hitler, by tactfully presenting that Hitler’s death was a coup from within the ranks.

While Valkyrie is a well-written, directed, and acted movie, there is something demoralizing about watching a movie based on true events, and knowing the outcome won’t be what you hope. Tom Cruise does a nice job as the bold and convicted Colonel von Stauffenberg. He is joined by a nice supporting cast that includes: Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, and Eddie Izzard.

Valkyrie is entertaining and captivating, and you find yourself hoping things will turn out differently than you know they are going to. Interestingly, rather than having the characters speak with German accents, the film creators chose to transtion from a German-speaking persona in the beginning to Cruise using common American English. One can only surmise it was asking too much for this talented group of actors to develop and maintain quality German accents.

Special features in the Valkyrie Blu-ray include:

• Audio Commentary by Tom Cruise, Director/Producer Bryan Singer, and Co-Writer/Producer Christopher McQuarrie
• Audio Commentary by Co-Writer/Producer Christopher McQuarrie and Co-Writer Nathan Alexander
• Reel Pieces with Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer Recorded Live at New York’s 92nd Street Y
• The Valkyrie Legacy Documentary
• The Journey to Valkyrie Featurette
• The Road to Resistance Featurette
• The African Front Sequence Featurette
• Taking to the Air Featurette
• Recreating Berlin Featurette
• Digital Copy of Valkyrie for Portable Media Players

• Actors: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branaugh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, and Eddie Izzard
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: United Artists
• Blu-ray Release Date: May 19, 2009
• Run Time: 121 minutes

Blu-ray Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews