Fury is a simple film masquerading as a complex animal. Writer-director David Ayer presents a cocky yet typical platoon war movie as a bunch of characters band together to form, storm and norm again as a new recruit gets initiated. The difference being that instead of being sent to Hell on amphibious landing craft, we’re living, breathing and dying through a Sherman tank.

We’re treated to a World War II drama trying to match Saving Private Ryan for aural and visual majesty. While the soundtrack does transport you and match the visceral on-screen war games, Ayer isn’t going for pinpoint accuracy and authenticity in Fury. This, despite opting to use real tanks in scenes depicting battlefield warfare and the decimation of towns.

The war drama is dirty and ugly enough to be taken seriously, but Fury is also infused with similar dynamics to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. His film is gunning for cult appeal with its brand of comedy and could have easily had A Knight’s Talesoundtrack.

The common denominator is Brad Pitt, who literally “goes commando” playing Wardaddy, a scar-faced and fearless tank sergeant. Pitt’s a solid actor and doesn’t disappoint, becoming a father figure to Logan Lerman as the newbie. Lerman is no slouch either, making an excellent counterpoint to Wardaddy and giving us a fresh, naive perspective for this hostile misadventure.

“Gentlemen, tonight we dine on… Bratwurst. You heard me.”

Ayer taunts us with obscure war philosophy, brandishing American bravado to the point of serving as troop recruitment propaganda. He peppers Fury with ethical and religious hypocrisy, adding edge and tension to make it more than a World of Tanks video game blast behind enemy lines.

The body count is gradually excessive, the stylish violence is head-crunchingly graphic and the action has been emphasised. David Ayer is the director behind End of Watch, Street Kings and Sabotage, which gives you an idea of the film’s proclivity for action and it’s level of grisly Imagine a violent adaptation of those gung-ho Battle-Action war comics from the ’80s.

There aren’t many tank-focused war movies out there and Fury will be remembered as one of the better ones. The ultra-violence and glorification of war do make it seem like “war porn” as one reviewer put it, but it’s tempered by the film’s overall quality and production values. If Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan and Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds both appealed to you, there’s a strong chance you’ll enjoy Fury.

The bottom line: Cocksure

Release date: 30 January, 2015
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