Movie Review: Fury

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I went to see Fury.  I knew it was a war movie and it was going to be violent but other than that I haven't read much about it.  It felt good going into a movie knowing very little and being surprised by it.

Fury is about a group of 5 guys who man a tank toward the end of World War II.   After one of them dies a new guy is added.  Norman (Logan Lerman) was drafted by the Army to be a typists but somehow ended up being assigned to the tank division.  There he joins the tank crew of Fury one of the best and most respected tanks.  The leader is Don 'Wardaddy' Collier (Brad Pitt) along with other crew members Boyd 'Bible' Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis (Jon Bernthal), and Trini 'Gordo' Garcia (Michael Pena). Norman has never been in combat and was never trained how to operate anything in a tank. His inexperience puts the other crew members at risk and WarDaddy pushes him to the limits trying to show him the horrors of war.  The rest of the crew is pretty tough on him especially Coon-Ass. Norman needs to come to grips with his situation and decide if he is capable of killing.

The story is  pretty formulaic. You can guess how the story is going to go. The characters are familiar enough that you don't need much background on them. WarDaddy is the stern but caring leader.  Bible (as the name implies) is the moral center of the crew always quoting the bible.  Coon-Ass is the crazy one that is a loose cannon. And Gordo is somewhere in between. Despite being formulaic the movie is effective and very well directed. The war scenes are graphic and intense and really pulls you into the story. The actors all did a great job making the characters their own. Logan Lerman created a character that even though felt familiar we could really empathize with.  Brad Pitt was in typical Brad Pitt mode but always great in this type of role.  I think the real surprise here is Shia LaBeouf.  Despite appearing to go crazy this year and walking around with a bag on his head he actually did a great job in the movie.  

I have to give it to David Ayer for writing and directing a great movie.  The movie could have felt like we have seen it before. But the action is intense and the battles between tanks are like nothing we have seen on screen before.  There is a break in the action that kind of stands out where Wardaddy and Norman are in a house trying to enjoy a meal. The whole scene is uncomfortable and while I get the point of the scene I think it could have been done a little better.  But once they get back into the tank and we begin to see Norman's transformation the story picks back up.

Overall: 5/5 One of the best war movies in a long time.  Not for the faint of heart but if you like action and suspense you will love this movie.