Fury entertains with progressive World War action

“Fury” entertains with fast paced, gritty World War II action.

Cinematics(Plot, Acting, Cinematography, etc.)

“Fury” is set during the end of World War II and touches on a very interesting historical subject regarding the Allied disadvantage versus German tanks. Being at the tail end of World War II, “Fury” is very action-centric with very little character development and a simplistic plot. Despite the simplistic plot, there is a unique element of the plot which I have yet to see in a World War II based film. Instead of defining Americans or Germans as heroes or enemies, “Fury” focuses on the corruptive nature of war. The film touches on subjects of unwilling Germans being forced into war and Americans that have lost their humanity due to Nazi hatred. Outside of the entertaining action, these engaging subjects comprise the lurking subplots that are injected throughout the film’s moments at rest.

Despite the lack of character development, the abundance of great performances are far from lacking. Brad Pitt is likable and enjoyable in his role but there are apparent moments when Pitt’s “Inglorious Bastards” character comes through, but with such a similar role it’s not surprising. Jon Bernthal is also pleasant on screen and like Brad Pitt seems to channel a character that he’s been known for on “The Walking Dead.” Bernthal is rugged and abrasive, much like his “Walking Dead” character Shane, but if you liked his character on that show, then you will probably be satisfied with his character in “Fury.”

The two breakthrough performances in the film would be Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman with my favorite being LaBeouf. Logan Lerman plays a fresh Army soldier assigned to a group of seasoned men. The influences of these men on Lerman’s character are part of what made his performance so great. As they tried to condition him for battle some of that conditioning could be seen as corruption but his struggle between good and evil is what made for such a great performance.

Shia LaBeouf was absolutely phenomenal in his role. With his character we got to see the effect that war has on an individual on multiple levels. He was a character in constant turmoil between the necessities of war and his own personal morals driven by his religious beliefs. This turmoil led to intensely emotional scenes where you could tell that LaBeouf had become lost in his character. Out of all the actors, it was Shia LaBeouf’s performance that set the emotional tone of the film.

Even with little focus on character history and a fast paced plot, “Fury” satisfied on many cinematic levels. There were some amazing performances amongst the actors and some unique action sequences that were shot extremely well. Overall I would say that this film achieved cinematic success.

Entertainment Value

When it comes to entertainment, “Fury” definitely excels. The fast pace may be seen as a flaw to some cinephiles but for those looking to be adequately entertained, it more than satisfies.

The underdog nature of the protagonists keeps you rooting for victory while being supplemented with some camera eye candy. There aren’t just random bullets flying by like you see in some war films, the explosions and gun fire are colorful and distinctive. Opposing sides even have a distinctive color of gunfire which could seem inaccurate to some but these “inaccuracies” made it very easy to see where the bullets and bombs were going and who was winning.

For its progressive pace and nonstop, larger than life action, I would say that “Fury” was an especially entertaining film.

Rewatchability

“Fury” was a joyride even for those that wouldn’t necessarily like war films. It was a film that I left ready to watch again and again.

Just as with its entertainment value, the pace makes its “rewatchability” rank well above your average film.