MOVIE REVIEW - Fury

The new Brad Pitt WWII tank battle drama Fury is here, and is intense.

This is certainly a movie where good discretion on who sees it is well advised, as this is a hard R rated movie, showing the horrors of war in Germany in the waning days of WWII.  And although for the most part it isn't Saving Private Ryan hard to watch, this is pretty intense and gruesome at times.

But this is also pretty darn good.  Although I will say, this will fall short of the really tremendous movie it could have been with its cast, storyline and hype.  In short, this could be classified as disappointing, but only in the fact that it's very good, and not great.

Pitt stars as a tough as nails tank commander who as driven his Sherman tank and his crew all over WWII. From North Africa, to France, Belgium, and now Nazi Germany.   Somehow he, his crew and the tank they have named Fury, are still running even though the Nazi Tiger Tanks are far superior in every regard.   The war is winding down, and Germany is falling, but the final resistance they are finding is intense and determined.

This is the story really of these five men in this tank, and how they bond, survive, and cope with the horrible conditions of war. This takes you inside the tank, where we seldom have gone, and shows the situation these men find themselves in.  Battling the Nazi's, inferior equipment, sanity and each other.

Fury has numerous, and lengthy battle scenes that are the movies best.  These are skillfully done, and look amazingly authentic.   But it should be noted, they are not for the squeamish.  In addition to their length, they are brutal at times, and there is plenty to make everyone a bit uncomfortable.  There are scenes outside of battle scenes too that are hard to take, as this pulls no punches.

Fury is a raw, unfettered, and and unapologetic movie whose main component is to take you into WWII and show you that is simply wasn't a John Wayne propaganda piece.  It was horrible stuff.   With apologies to Battle Of The Bulge, and The Desert Fox, they are classic tank movies that were of their era and are fine.But Fury is far more accurate and direct in taking you inside the tank, and to places you must be brave to go in cinema.

Pitt continues to get better with age in an acting sense.  Ever since Moneyball, I think he has really matured and is flat out getting better in each movie forward.  Although, this is not as pleasant as Moneyball, Pitt is great, and wonderfully cast as this guy you certainly don't want to cross, but absolutely want on your side in a fight.  The sets and backdrops here are wonderful, and the costuming is first rate.  They really transport you behind the lines magnificently, and you feel of the era.

Fury.  Brutal, tough, hard to watch at times, but quite good.