Movie review: Valkyrie

Director Bryan Singer (“X-Men”) reunites with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote “The Usual Suspects” for Singer, with “Valkyrie.” Tom Cruise stars as Claus von Stauffenberg, a member of the German resistance during World War II who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander wrote the film, based on the true story of Operation Valkyrie, which was Hitler’s emergency plan to stabilize power in case of his death. Colonel Stauffenberg and other military members of the German resistance planned to use Valkyrie to instead stage a coup d’etat, removing Hitler’s cronies from power.

Stauffenberg, who lost an eye, a hand, and two additional fingers in the war, is promoted into a position where he has some contact with Hitler. As such, Stauffenberg moves from being the man who will help stabilize a post-Hitler government during the coup into the man who will deliver the bomb.