DVD Movie Review - Fury

Brad Pitt shows off his best war faces since Inglourious Basterds, except this time they're a tad more dramatic.

STORY:

Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman: sounds like a superhero's name, right?) has no idea how the hell he found himself in the middle of Germany during World War 2.  See, Norman is just an Army typist, but somehow is thrown into a Sherman tank as the assistant driver/gunner.  Norman has never seen a tank up close, let alone been inside one, but sooner rather than later he's going to have to learn about the ravages of war.  Can Norman survive the last push of the Allies into Nazi Germany and make his all-veteran tank crew respect him?  Mortars, German women, golden eggs, bloody scenes, dramatic life-lessons, face fragments, and the infamous Shia LaBeouf ensue.

"Are you even old enough to have seen Seven?"

"I--"

"Shut up.  Nobody cares."

THOUGHTS:

Sad war movie will make you sad.  If you're looking for an uplifting war film that will leave rainbows and lollipops in your heart, this is not it.  Just like Saving Private Ryan, you're thrown in the middle of the war with Germany and nothing—not even blown-off faces—are held back.  So if you have a weak stomach, you might want to rethink watching this film.  Now, that's not to say there aren't very good aspects of Fury.  Sure, the premise (a few straggly men have to hold off hundreds and will either live or die as heroes by the end) has been told before, but you're really watching this film for the extremely realistic war depictions, the superb acting from the entire cast, and because you probably think tanks are "cool". 

The film is shot in the same dreary monochromatic colors of all war films, but there's still beauty to be found throughout.  The cinematography is so incredible, almost every scene can be captured, printed, and hung on a wall…and in just that one frame you'd still understand the story.  However, there is one small problem with the plot—other than the fact that versions of this tale have already been told—and that's having Norman (Logan Lerman) just show up in the beginning and nobody really asks any questions or cares how he ended up as part of the tank crew.  It's almost as if the character exists for just one reason: to relay the story.  Some people will be able to look past this fact, while others might be slightly annoyed by this unanswered plot hole.  But if and when you finally do get past the fact of a typist operating a tank gun and that Norman isn't going anywhere, you'll be able to comfortably enjoy the rest of the sad movie.

"See this square and these circles here?"

"Yeah...what's it mean?"

"Don't know, but my artistic flair has really increased since the beginning of the war, don't you think?"

THE ACTING:

Brad Pitt as Don "Wardaddy" Collier is the best acting you'll see in Fury.  Pitt's Collier is a hardened war veteran that cannot stand the Nazi army.  There are moments when his emotions get the best of him and he explodes in the scene, but it's the quiet, teachable scenes with Norman that’ll bring Pitt's acting up a level.  Right behind Pitt is Logan Lerman.  He plays the wet-behind-the-ears recruit perfectly.  Throughout the story his character will have many conflicts about death, God, and war, and each internal struggle is exhibited flawlessly by Lerman.  And when the two (Lerman and Pitt) share scenes together, it lifts the film above the cliché premise.

"I faced zombies during the apocalypse, don't you think I can handle a few Nazis?"

"Isn't that a football helmet on your head?"

Shia LaBeouf ripped off the I'm-not-famous-anymore paper bag to become Boyd "Bible" Swan: Collier's go-to guy for bible verses during terrible war battles.  Shia brings a surprise performance that may even make you doubt it's even him in the movie.  But alas, trust P&P when we say that yes, in fact, that really is Shia LeBeouf inside a tank spouting dramatic bible verses to the rest of the crew.  Michael Pena dons a top hat and cane as Trini "Gordo" Garcia and becomes the first man to help Norman out with his gunner doubts and duties.  And last but not least is Jon Bernthal, who went from the Walking Dead to the Wolf of Wall Street and now landed the role of Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis in Fury.  His character is every bit likable and an A-hole all at the same time.  There will be scenes where you'll love him and other scenes where you'll want to beat him with a shovel.  And this just goes to show you that he's a fantastic character actor.  But the brilliant acting doesn't stop there.  Even the second and third string actors that only show up to die in the next scene are excellent in the film.  This proves that the writer/director, David Ayer, did his best to bring the story to life.  Ayer knew what he wanted out of each and every character and received it from everyone in the film.

"I'd show you my coin collection, but it turns out we're in Germany..."

CONCLUSION:

Fury may have a cliché premise of a small team having to hold off hundreds, but the acting, writing, and cinematography make the film feel fresh and dramatic all at the same time.  If you're looking for an uplifting film, that won't make you reflect on your current status in life, this is not your movie.  Fury will bring the heartache, the pain, and the tragedies of war into your living room.  Now if you're just looking for explosions, awe-inspiring tank battles, and realistic war action, Fury brings that too.  With an ending that's almost guessable from the start, the movie will still remain intriguing till the end and memorable afterwards.  If war films are your thing, then don't hesitate to rent Fury.  Just don't pick it up for date night, unless you want your better-half crying by the end.

3.5 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for somewhat cliché premise & ½ star for the Norman plot hole)