"Fury," released in 2014, presents a look at World War II centered on 'Wardaddy' (Brad Pitt) and the members of his Sherman tank crew during the final month of fighting in Europe. Norman (Logan Lerman), an inexperienced recruit unfamiliar with tanks, is brought into the group and forced to confront the reality of combat. As they push deeper into Germany, the Fury crew finds themselves in a desperate situation when their tank suffers mechanical failure. Writer/director Dick Ayers, who previously wrote the screenplay for "Training Day" (2001), successfully portrays the perspective of soldiers during WWII from inside a Sherman tank—a viewpoint I’m not aware of any other film achieving, although “Kelly's Heroes” (1970) comes somewhat close. For me, a movie’s success hinges on whether it can hold my attention. What good are impressive action sequences, thrills and special effects if the story itself is uninspired—like "The Mummy Returns" (2001) or "Man of Steel"(2013)? “Fury” managed to keep me engaged from start to finish, and I found all the characters memorable. The remaining three crew members are 'Bible' (Shia LaBeouf), 'Coonass' (Jon Bernthal), and 'Gordo' (Michael Peña). ‘Bible’ is portrayed as an evangelical Christian struggling to maintain his faith while engaged in brutal fighting, contrasting with Norman, who identifies as a mainline Christian. Several biblical passages are incorporated throughout the film, including some near the conclusion delivered by Wardaddy. This detail reveals that Wardaddy has become hardened by three years of war, stretching from North Africa to the heart of Nazi territory, suggesting he was once deeply spiritual, though only a trace of that devotion remains now. There are other well-placed character moments throughout, such as how unpleasant people can seem before they sober up. Beyond these observations, the film offers familiar but poignant insights into the nature of war. The extended final confrontation might feel improbable, yet it provides a heroic and exciting conclusion to the story—it's a movie, not a documentary. Overall, “Fury” is arguably among the best WWII films ever made, alongside titles like "Where Eagles Dare" (1968), "Enemy at the Gates" (2001), "The Eagle has Landed" (1976), "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957), "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), “The Thin Red Line” (1998) and "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). Compared to "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), which I consider overrated, the first thirty minutes are strong, but the rest of that film is disappointing; “Fury” is significantly better in my opinion. The soundtrack by Steven Price is a definite highlight. Alicia von Rittberg (Emma), Anamaria Marinca (Irma) and Jason Isaacs appear in substantial roles. The brief romantic connection between Emma’s character and Norman felt somewhat contrived, which was one of the few drawbacks I noticed, though I understood its purpose within the narrative. The film has a running time of 134 minutes and was filmed in England. GRADE: A-

Source on TMDB