A killing machine with a heart of gold
Jacob Kjerulf
Contributing Writer
Pulling no punches, Fury shows it has heart beneath its steel frame with a touching story combined with tense action pieces.
David Ayer is making quite the name for himself. He recently made the very well received End of Watch, and who could forget the classic Training Day? Now he brings Fury, a unique take on the World War II drama in that it is focused solely on the colorful crew of a Sherman tank.
Set during the dwindling years of the war, Fury tells the story of a five man tank crew and their exploits as they venture further into Nazi Germany. Along with other U.S. forces, they slowly begin to liberate the country, town by town. This culminates in the crew of “Fury” being sent on another mission only to be stopped in their tracks by a “mechanical problem” with Nazis heading their way.
Despite the title of this film, it is surprisingly well thought out with a truly heartfelt story encompassing the brotherhood that is shared by the tank crew. Everyone has nicknames and they all treat each other as if they were of the same blood. It’s really a bond like no other in war.
The action is no less heart-pounding though, and the absolute shock of some moments no less heart-breaking. It’s amazing how tense parts of the film can get through the perspective of inside the tank. It is through this that Fury is able to differentiate itself from other war films – WWII and beyond.
However, Fury does suffer from some performance issues under its steel frame. The pacing of the film really brings it down a few pegs as some parts drag on a few minutes longer than they should. Some of the dialogue also comes off as cheesy during some of the more tense moments, which should never happen in a film.
Other than that, the film does a very good job of portraying its unique take on the war. Not since Saving Private Ryan have the horrors of this war been put to proper effect on film, and, boy, does Fury shine in this regard. The amount of carnage in this film would make some horror directors blush. While it may seem a bit excessive at times, remember that war pulls no punches.
This is showcased extremely well through Ayer’s direction as well as some great cinematography to boot. Every shot is as dank and depressive as the last. Germany especially looks like hell on earth, with carcasses of vehicles and people littering the country.
While Fury is not a great film, it is still very good and the best straight WWII film to come along in a while. It should also be noted that this generation doesn’t get to experience many good historical war films nowadays in the theater, and this film offers a great substitute to the classics from which it has drawn significant influence.
3 out of 5 Paws
