After the debacle that was Superman Returns, Bryan Singer's career had to places to go: Up Up or Away. Thankfully, Valkyrie is a solid step in the right direction. The film is well made, features strong acting, and I've always been a fan of the way that Singer and Newton Thomas Sigel capture the images of their films. Some people are thrown by Tom Cruise's lack of accent in the film but it didn't get to me and I liked the fact that they at least tried to acknowledge it.

On the downside, the film is fairly straightforward yet still relies heavily on "What's going to happen?!" suspense. The problem with this is that everyone already knows what is going to happen. It would have been tough to pull off but the film might have been better had it been crafted more as a Whodunnit. Maybe start with the plan failing and people trying to figure out what went wrong, then go through the plot and we watch, trying to figure out who is going to be the culprit who ruins the plot to assassinate Hitler.

Even still, it's an entertaining film, a solid B. There's no need to rush out and see it or put it at the top of your Netflix queue but it's the kind of film that could be a pleasant surprise if you decide to check it out some time. This film won't be Tom Cruise back on top but it at least helps salvage what's left of his image. Personally, I think he needs to get into another thriller and not focus so much on comedy (his next film "Men" is directed by Old School's Todd Phillips) but maybe he feels that he needs to soften his image and make himself more likeable before he tries to regain his standing as one of Hollywood's most bankable movie stars.