Valkyrie

[thunderw21]

Just saw this and I was pleasantly surprised. Very well done, if a tad long. It immerses you into the Third Reich and I think they got the 'feeling' down very well. The politics involved were complicated and portrayed well. Cruise did a swell job of acting as did the other actors and actresses. I won't mind throwing a few bucks at it again once it comes to DVD.

If you had any qualms about seeing this movie, let me assure you that you won't be disappointed. If anything, go to see a good movie for a couple hours.

 

[Nighthawk]

^ I agree. As I said earlier, I was going to see it regardless. Even so, it was still better than I expected.

My German roommate was looking forward to it as well; as we're on break I don't know if he's seen it yet.

NH

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Saw it tonight. Was moderately impressed. It moved along well was visually, quite effective and realistic. If it weren't Tom Cruise, I think there'd be nothing but praise for this film. If one can get past the real Tom Cruise and believe in the character, it really is quite a good story and told very well. I liked it.

-Dixon Cannon

 

[JohnnyGringo]

The men in my family saw this film yesterday, and although I don't consider myself much of a Tom Cruise fan, overall I was impressed. We all felt it was quite well done and will watch it again when it comes out on DVD. The ladies went to see Benjamin Button while we saw this, by the way...

 

[poetman]

My wife and I saw this a few days ago. It was a good film--worth seeing. It's not amazing. Tom Cruise is very overrated (but most people understand this going into the film). I'd give it 4/5 stars. It's not amazing, but it's very good. The dialogue could be much punchier and more exciting, and, of course, Cruise's role could have been improved upon, but still very worth seeing.

 

[KatintheHat]

People need to get off the Tom Hater Wagon. Ya all loved him before he got so happy about scoring a young nubile bride.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

It's good to hear positive reviews! I wanted to see this, and I think I will. Even though I know the ending...

 

[Brian Sheridan]

It's good to hear positive reviews! I wanted to see this, and I think I will. Even though I know the ending...

You may know the ending but you will learn that there was so much else involved with the plot. It really was fasincating . And as for the Cruise issue, since he is "a big star," it reminded me of the old Warner Bros war films starring Errol Flynn or Bogart. You never stopping thinking that you were seeing Flynn or Bogart but it didn't matter because the films were so exciting.

 

[Gary D.]

I am interested in this period and have read something of Count Claus von Stauffenberg. Cruise is 47!--hard to believe--so he's actually older than the heroic colonel, who was, I believe, in his late 30s when he died.

I probably won't see the film because I'm not, to put it politely, a Tom Cruise fan, although he's been in a couple of movies I've liked, mainly because of the other actors (Rain Man, for instance). From the snippets I've caught, he seems to be speaking perfect, unaccented English. Why couldn't they go for a German or British actor, who at least spoke with a German intonation? It might be worth the while, however, to see an excellent actor like Tom Wilkerson, for instance.

From the reviews I've read, the chief complaint about the newly released Boy in the Striped Pajamas was that everyone, including the two boys--the 'German' and the Jewish boy--spoke perfect English.

I might be interested to see how they portray the Fuhrer. The best portrayal of Hitler I've seen was in 1951's The Desert Fox, about Field Marshal Rommel. That great Jewish actor Luther Adler really seemed to catch the German leader.

 

[AmateisGal]

Can't wait to see this. Glad it's getting good reviews by those who are familiar with the time period.

 

[_RAGNAR_]

I know it is very popular to dislike Tom Cruise, but I found the critics to be WAY off the mark. Personally I think the idea that an actor cannot do anything anymore because they are to famous is pretty ridiculous. Collateral was an example were I never once thought about the character being Tom Cruise.

As for this film I thought it was decent. I am very interested in WWII history and especially in the history of how the German people were led, and allowed themselves to be led to such a low. So for me it was worth it. The story needs to be at least a hour longer to really develop the character and the plot. Maybe there will eb a director’s cut on DVD if so it would probably improve the film.

From a historical standpoint the clothing, vehicles, ect. were very good. Cruise’s acting was ok. The other actors were truly only ok also though.

Some of the ridiculous criticisms: Cruise didn’t talk with either a British or German accent. He is supposed to be talking in German! Once we decide to make him speak English why should he have an accent? He is not supposed to be talking in English, if he was that should be accented, since we are supposed to suspend belief and understand he is talking German there is no reason for a accent. A FOX news story actually complained that the Nazis weren’t Nazi enough! The writer thought all the Germans should have swastika armbands and giant swastika medals. The uniforms and displays of swastikas was historically correct. The writer obviously was not interested in correct as he even went so far as to say there were NO good Germans, that every one of them was guilty of the holocaust (yes his agenda, as if WWII was only about the holocaust, therefore ALL WWII movies must be holocaust centric and blame every German for it) Not sure in his opinion what it would take to not be a baddy as trying to kill Hilter and giving your life to do it and risking the life of your family was not enough.

Back to Cruise, I never thought about him during the movie, except when I thought about the fact the critics told me I was supposed to only notice him as Tom Cruise and I wasn’t.

Overall a decent movie. I’ll buy it just to look at the military details, but the story itself was only so well done. Too bad with the money they spent you’d think they could have went all the way and done more with it. But in general he did a fine job trying to tell a very complicated story.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Saw the movie tonight. Enjoyed it on several different levels. My wife even enjoyed it, which is saying a lot because she is neither a Tom Cruise fan, nor a history/WWII buff. She still liked it and even shed a tear at the end.

I'm not a Cruise fan either, but I thought he did a very good job. I also believe that had the cast employed Germanic accents, it would have not only been a distraction, but American audiences wouldn't had a much harder time warming up to them.

 

[Jerekson]

Just a note for Ragnar...

I would hardly take anything that FOX has to say into consideration. lol

 

[_RAGNAR_]

The dialogue could be much punchier and more exciting,

of course you are talking about Germans!

That is another thing the critics couldn't get their heads around; Germans believe it or not, do not act like Americans, especially German Officers in WWII

 

[reetpleat]

I know it is very popular to dislike Tom Cruise, but I found the critics to be WAY off the mark. Personally I think the idea that an actor cannot do anything anymore because they are to famous is pretty ridiculous. Collateral was an example were I never once thought about the character being Tom Cruise.

As for this film I thought it was decent. I am very interested in WWII history and especially in the history of how the German people were led, and allowed themselves to be led to such a low. So for me it was worth it. The story needs to be at least a hour longer to really develop the character and the plot. Maybe there will eb a director’s cut on DVD if so it would probably improve the film.

From a historical standpoint the clothing, vehicles, ect. were very good. Cruise’s acting was ok. The other actors were truly only ok also though.

Some of the ridiculous criticisms: Cruise didn’t talk with either a British or German accent. He is supposed to be talking in German! Once we decide to make him speak English why should he have an accent? He is not supposed to be talking in English, if he was that should be accented, since we are supposed to suspend belief and understand he is talking German there is no reason for a accent. A FOX news story actually complained that the Nazis weren’t Nazi enough! The writer thought all the Germans should have swastika armbands and giant swastika medals. The uniforms and displays of swastikas was historically correct. The writer obviously was not interested in correct as he even went so far as to say there were NO good Germans, that every one of them was guilty of the holocaust (yes his agenda, as if WWII was only about the holocaust, therefore ALL WWII movies must be holocaust centric and blame every German for it) Not sure in his opinion what it would take to not be a baddy as trying to kill Hilter and giving your life to do it and risking the life of your family was not enough.

Back to Cruise, I never thought about him during the movie, except when I thought about the fact the critics told me I was supposed to only notice him as Tom Cruise and I wasn’t.

Overall a decent movie. I’ll buy it just to look at the military details, but the story itself was only so well done. Too bad with the money they spent you’d think they could have went all the way and done more with it. But in general he did a fine job trying to tell a very complicated story.

I agree. I actually like Tom Cruise for a number of reasons. Great actor? I don't know. But competent, yes. I think it is very popular to hate or make fun of him, and the critics are no different. I read a review where the critic criticized it because it is too late. he felt that it would have been more poignant to have come out as the Bush administration was leading us into the war, and to come out now that we have a new president and the Bush era was over was coming too late. What a lame criticism.

an yway, haven't seen the movie yet, but looking forward to it.

And as for accents, I also agree. While German accents could work, it is kind of a silly affect and can really come off badly. If we are pretending they are speaking German, why expect an accident. I don't want a Hogans heroes effect. "I see nothink"

 

[reetpleat]

of course you are talking about Germans!

That is another thing the critics couldn't get their heads around; Germans believe it or not, do not act like Americans, especially German Officers in WWII

So, are you saying Cruise doesn't shout "Show me the Money"/ Perhaps he could say "Show me the bomb."

 

[Dixon Cannon]

The accents...

I too was concerned that a lack of accent would detract from the believability of germans interacting with one another. What I discovered was a very effective seque' from German to English as the story began - from the titles morphing from German to English and then the German narration to English. This provided a perfect psychological transition to accept the characters speaking English dialogue. Very effective and rather unique.

-dixon cannon

 

[Josephine]

Cruise didn’t talk with either a British or German accent. He is supposed to be talking in German! Once we decide to make him speak English why should he have an accent? He is not supposed to be talking in English, if he was that should be accented, since we are supposed to suspend belief and understand he is talking German there is no reason for a accent.

What I discovered was a very effective seque' from German to English as the story began - from the titles morphing from German to English and then the German narration to English. This provided a perfect psychological transition to accept the characters speaking English dialogue. Very effective and rather unique.

I agree that the actors should not have a German accent. In the movie The Last Emperor, when the Chinese characters were speaking in Chinese, unaccented English was used. When they were speaking in English, accented English was used.

 

[Gary D.]

As for this film I thought it was decent. I am very interested in WWII history and especially in the history of how the German people were led, and allowed themselves to be led to such a low. So for me it was worth it. The story needs to be at least a hour longer to really develop the character and the plot. Maybe there will eb a director’s cut on DVD if so it would probably improve the film.

* * *

Some of the ridiculous criticisms: Cruise didn’t talk with either a British or German accent. He is supposed to be talking in German! Once we decide to make him speak English why should he have an accent? He is not supposed to be talking in English, if he was that should be accented, since we are supposed to suspend belief and understand he is talking German there is no reason for a accent.

I'm also very interested in this period. Yes, I would prefer the actors to speak with a German accent--I know they are supposed to be speaking German. One of the criticisms my British correspondents had about The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was that everyone spoke in perfect, upper-class English.

That being said, one of my favorite World War II films--The Night of the Generals--had most of the actors, particularly Peter O'Toole, speaking with perfect English accents. Of course, I like O'Toole and don't Cruise. By the way, this is an excellent must-see film and follows the book very closely. I think it was originally written in German and the writer must have had the youngish O'Toole in mind because he described him exactly. They couldn't have chosen a better actor for the part.

Getting back to Tom Cruise, I compared side shots of Count von Stauffenberg and Cruise, and I have to admit there is a resemblance. There have been other actors playing von Stauffenberg, including Germans, that didn't look anything like him. To me, it's more important for the actor to catch the essence of the character being portrayed than the exact look--as in Luther Adler's depiction of Adolf Hitler in The Desert Fox (1951).

 

[MrBern]

Although it was interesting to see the story depicted, I had trouble enjoying the film. We all know Hitler wasnt assassinated, so the movie doesnt really offer enough suspense. Yes, its tense, but its not like say...Titanic, where we know the ship will sink, but we're hit with a lot of spectacle & emotional involvement.
Tom Cruise doesnt embarrass himself at all, but really he doesnt take it beyond the obvious motivations.
This story wouldve made a really good BBC production for PBS. But as a film...eh.