American war flick Fury sets out to tell the tale of a US Army tank unit (nicknamed ‘Fury’) pushing into Germany during the final days of the Second World War. After the unit loses a member of its team in a battle gone wrong, the film focuses on the enlistment of newcomer and typist Norman and his struggle to assimilate into both the team and the greater war.
The ambition of Fury lies in showing you a vision of war you haven’t seen before, and for the first third or so, this venture is a successful one. It quickly introduces the team, with Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier (Brad Pitt) and Boyd ‘Bible’ Swan (Shia LaBeouf) proving the standouts as the script brings the crew to light with some great dialogue moments between the big set-piece battle scenes.
Sadly, the film begins to dry up as it hits its middle act. While Fury’sopening holds nothing back when it comes to showcasing the darker side of human nature that war brings out, this section fumbles not only with its pacing but also lends a crippling incongruence to the film’s depiction of the time. By the time Fury sinks its talons into its spectacle-driven finale, it’s more or less abandoned the ambitions of its opening.
For some Fury will be a passable wartime action flick – but many will find themselves walking out of the cinema far from satisfied.
2.5/5 stars
Fury is in cinemas now.
