Brad Pitt
Shia LaBeouf
Logan Lerman
Michael Peña
Jon Bernthal
Jason Isaacs
Scott Eastwood

David Ayer

134 mins.
Action, Drama, War
October 17, 2014

Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout. (MPAA)

“Fury,” written and directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt, among others, begins by telling us that German tanks outnumbered and outgunned American tanks during World War II. So we know that Ayer, a Navy vet, has decided to raise the stakes from the beginning. This isn’t unexpected; Ayer, writer of “Training Day” and writer-director of “End of Watch” and “Sabotage,” gravitates toward muscular filmmaking. We know the odds, and we know that this film will likely end after showing the deaths of many American soldiers – whether we know the history of the events or not.

The problem is that this film doesn’t flow; it never finds an effective rhythm. The action sequences work, but they don’t elevate the parts of the film without any action. There’s an urgency to the action scenes that’s welcome, but that urgency dissipates when the action’s over. They’re simply the best part of this film: brutal and unflinching. Heads explode, bodies burn, and the Fury tank rolls over and smashes a German soldier’s head. That’s what I’m talking about.

The shots inside the Fury tank are reminiscent of submarine film shots. But, unfortunately, those scenes ring hollow. There’s just too little underneath the surface.

While the actors don’t embarrass themselves, Ayer has written character types instead of people. I just don’t feel like I’m there with them, even when the camera enters the confines of the tank. Instead of a cohesive statement, we have a collection of scenes.

There are a few moments that provide a glimpse into what this film could have been, though. One of those moments is during the extended scene when Pitt and Logan Lerman are alone with two German women in the women’s apartment. You could cut the tension with a knife … in that moment. There are other moments like that, but the film never fully capitalizes on them. Unfortunately, they’re fleeting; they’re not used to create effective scenes.

So why make this World War II film? If you’re going to make a World War II film at this point, you better bring it. This doesn’t. (I feel like I’ve said this before about another film released this year. Hmmm.)

I guess the takeaway is that war’s unforgiving and that war’s for men, not for boys. That message has been delivered countless times before; it’s hackneyed. Many films before this one have explored the psychological effects of war. So what makes this one special?

“Fury” looks the part; that’s its strength, but that’s its only one. It definitely overstays its welcome. It’s a distant echo of much better World War II films. “Saving Private Ryan,” anyone?

Verdict: OK

About: (Source: fury)

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.