The Good:
**as just mentioned, the rapid-fire pacing and dedication to the "assassination plot against Adolf Hitler by members of his own army" mission at narrative hand made for what lazier folk would label as a "nail-biter." I, I'll just call it a great piece of tense entertainment. Aside from Colonel Stauffenberg, the head of the anti-Fuhrer mutiny played by Tom Cruise, the rest of the traitors are given zero backgstory, leaving their specific reasons for turning against Hitler mysteries. We just know that they're tired of the tyrant and his civilian-slaughtering, destructive ways.
**considering that we all know the film's outcome before even buying a ticket (the assassination attempt, although the best and most closely-effective of its kind, was unsuccessful, and all involved were executed immediately), the fact that Valkyrie still manages to captivate with ample suspense is something that director Bryan Singer (Superman Returns, X-Men, The Usual Suspects) should be saluted for here.
**and finally, a surprisingly well-handled aspect...the use of all English language here. The intention with the film (at least how it seems to me) is to deliver a top-notch popcorn thriller (albeit one with a bit more truthfulness and importance than other "popcorn" fare), and in order to do so, asses need to be in seats, thus rendering the use of German speaking and subtitles obsolete, unfortunately. I don't mind subtitles, but many (lame mofos) do, so be it. But at least the way the film's English-speaking is eased into within the opening minute it nicely-pulled-off.
And now....
The Bad:
**the stunt casting of Tom Cruise. Sure, Cruise sort of resembles the real Stauffenberg (Google him, I'm too lazy to search for a pic and post it here), but he's way too miscast here. Just see the scene where he angrily exclaims the infamous "Heil Hitler!" salute. The audience I was with erupted in laughter at something that should've been stone-cold serious. And really, if his performance was grade-A+, I wouldn't even have cared that it was a megastar in the role, but his work here is pretty flat. Not his best job done, by any means. He isn't terrible; he's just mediocre, and being that he's surrounded by some very-fine supporting talent (such as Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Terence Stamp, all performing greatly here), his faults bleed through the screen.
**related to Cruise, the film's over-dependency on humanizing Stauffenberg by including a brely-there subplot involving his wife and children, as well as an opening scene where he's severely wounded in battle. Neither proves sufficient enough to the basic "assassination attempt" storyboard as things progress, and Stauffenberg is more of a supporting character here than the true lead, so efforts to give him narrative padding fall way short. I can think of at least three other characters in the film that I'd rather have learned more about, but never got to as Valkyrie approaches the all-real-people roster.
**and lastly, an additional negative flipside to the whole "lean, straight-to-the-core approach"....certain spots of the story would've been better served with some explanatory injections. For instance, just how did the choice of "hand-delivered bomb into one of Hitler's private meetings which would set off Operation Valkyrie" end up being the plan? What led to this exactly? Were any other elaborate ideas flirted with at any point? As Valkyrie has it, the plan is decided upon seemingly nonchalantly, and agreed upon rather quickly. Which I'm sure wasn't really the case.
Final Statement:
Valkyrie is totally worth seeing, as long as you go in expecting nothing more than a fast, lean, potboiler of a suspense ride. In no way a "great" film; just a very entertaining, though flawed, one, and one that I'd definitely watch a few more times. I'll just have to turn my critical switch to Off and enjoy the at-times-bumpy-but-ultimately-satisfying ride.
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