“Valkyrie” DVD Review

“Valkyrie” was released on DVD May 19th and I finally had the chance to sit down and watch it. I chose not to see this film in the theater and after watching it, I wish I would have. Everything is better on the big screen! I guess I need to get me a big screen like Tom and Katie.

Although the movie started out a little slow for me and this wasn’t one of my favorite Tom Cruise films, the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is absolutely fascinating. What that man sacrificed for Germany and freedom was amazing.

The reviews of Tom’s performance were all over the place. Some called this the “best performances of his career”, while others were less than impressed. I don’t really know if I could say it’s the best of his career, but I did think he did a phenomenal job portraying this character. This is definitely a movie I will be recommending to those who haven’t seen it. I think knowing about this story is important.

Here’s a description of the film:

The remarkable yet seldom told true story of the German Resistance’s attempted coup and assassination of Adolf Hitler reveals itself when Valkyrie is released on Blu-ray Disc and Special Edition DVD with Digital Copy on May 19th from MGM Home Entertainment.  Set in Nazi Germany, Valkyrie chronicles the daring and ingenious “July 20 plot” to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known.  Oscar-nominee Tom Cruise* (Mission Impossible, Minority Report) stars as the loyal German nationalist Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the mastermind behind the plot to kill Hitler and overthrow his fascist regime. 

Convinced the Nazi leader must die at all costs, Stauffenberg joins with a group of similarly disillusioned officers and civilians whose like minds come together for a common purpose in the face of incredible odds.  Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects), Valkyrie boasts “…a top-notch international cast…” (Entertainment Weekly) including Academy Award-nominees Kenneth Branagh** (Hamlet, Henry V), Tom Wilkinson*** (Michael Clayton, In The Bedroom) and Terence Stamp (Get Smart; The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert), as well as Bill Nighy (The Constant Gardener, Love Actually) and Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen, “The Riches”).

The Blue-ray disc and DVD have a ton of special features.

Blu-ray Disc Specs
Valkyrie Blu-ray Disc will be presented in widescreen format with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio; Spanish & French 5.1 Dolby Digital; and Spanish, French, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin & Brazilian Portuguese subtitles.  Bonus features include:
Disc One
        •    Commentary by Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie
        •    Commentary by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander
        •    Featurettes:
                o    The Journey to Valkyrie
                o    The Road to Resistance: A Visual Guide
                o    The African Front Sequence
                o    Taking to the Air
                o    Recreating Berlin
                o    92nd Street Y: Reel Pieces with Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer
                o    The Valkyrie Legacy
Disc Two
        •    Digital Copy
Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Specs
Valkyrie Two-Disc Special Edition DVD with Digital Copy will be presented in widescreen format with English, Spanish & French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish & French subtitles.  Bonus features include:
Disc One
        •    Commentary by Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie
        •    Commentary by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander
        •    Featurettes:
                o    The Journey to Valkyrie
                o    The Valkyrie Legacy
Disc Two
        •    Digital Copy
Single-Disc DVD Specs
Valkyrie single-disc DVD will be presented in widescreen format with English, Spanish & French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish & French subtitles.

Image Credit: © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.