David Ayer to Write and Direct Fury

[Marvolo]

I keep hearing that the middle of this film slams to a stop. It's making me hesitant to watch this in the theater.

 

[LostSon88]

Well in regards to that, i'm assuming they're referring to the part where,

Spoiler

After some fighting, the team settles down in a German town and Pitt and Lerman have some down time and relax in the home of two German woman for a while. Not much going on really. One of the women prepares them some food, Pitt cleans himself up a bit while Lerman and the younger girl get um…"close". Then of course the rest of the boys crash the party and ruin it all.

It honestly didn't bother me at all and didn't feel like the movie 'slams to a stop'.

I thought this movie was great. The story itself is pretty straightforward but its the 5 main characters that make the movie work.

Definitely the grittiest modern WWII movie i've seen.

 

[Zeus]

I saw Fury earlier today...Love WWII movies, and this is a great one.


I did have a couple of beef with some of the story

Spoiler

like the wuss typist all of sudden getting the balls to do stuff and kill...And Brad Pitt all of sudden wanting to take on a brigade of SS soldiers, basically putting his tank platoon at risk of dying...While the whole film he had been saying how he wants to have his guys make it through the war...This was one battle they had no chance of surviving.

Regarding Shia, honestly the dude may be a *****e in real life and must have mental problems but he is one fantastic actor. He clearly is one of the best in the business at performing scenes of emotion at a high level. Dude really knows what he is doing...

David Ayer is going to direct DC's Suicide Squad...Can't wait to see that film. The whole cast had great chemistry and he knows how to film a ensemble.

 

[Necrosis Boy]

Except for D-Day and the Ardennes Western front movies cannot be very interesting. It is always Uncle Sam under total air and material superiority against an exhausted army. War is not very exciting that way.

 

[LostSon88]

Regarding Shia, honestly the dude may be a *****e in real life and must have mental problems but he is one fantastic actor. He clearly is one of the best in the business at performing scenes of emotion at a high level. Dude really knows what he is doing...

Not knocking his performance or anything but is it just me or was his character almost always on the verge of tears in every single scene?

Oh and am I interpreting this right in that towards the end they were hinting that

Spoiler

Shia's character was a closeted homosexual? That scene when he's tending to Pitt's wound and that long lingering look he gives him while discussing the Bible kinda made me think that...

 

[Kane52630]

Best WWII film since Letters from Iwo Jima. It's brutal, violent, and unforgiving. It was made clear that Brad Pitt and his crew aren't some goody two shoes band of brothers, they can be just as ugly as the opposing side. I think what scene surprised me the most was the long unnerving dinner scene. There wasn't any gun fire but that **** was just as intense as the action. That alone made it more than just another WWII movie.
9/10

 

[terry78]

Caught it on Friday. Beautifully shot, and very visceral. Ayer showcases the claustrophobic nature of a tank to a tee. But Shia man.....I suspect he may get a nod.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

I couldn't be happier that Ayer is doing Suicide Squad.

 

[terry78]

edit

 

[Schlosser85]

I thought this was one of the best WWII films ever, right up there with Saving Private Ryan and even less idealized. Intense, gritty, and brutal. The characters aren't whitetwashed at all (hell, at times, they're downright unsavory), and the climactic battle has you on the edge of your seat wondering if anyone's gonna make it.

I admit I'm not usually really into Brad Pitt, but he was good in this. Also, IMO, the people knocking Shia LaBeouf's acting are usually letting their disdain for his real personality influence their opinion. He might be an asshat IRL, but there's nothing wrong with his acting, even in serious completely straight roles in intense material like this and Lawless.

Loved that Tiger fight. You have to admire the skill of both Don and the German tankers.

My whole review:

http://www.jestersreviews.com/reviews/2738

 

[Schlosser85]

I keep hearing that the middle of this film slams to a stop. It's making me hesitant to watch this in the theater.

There's a lengthy midway interlude without any action or violence, but I hardly think the movie "slams to a stop" unless you have ADD.

As others have mentioned, that whole long dinner scene is uneasy and uncomfortable, because the characters are morally ambiguous enough you don't know what they're gonna do with the women.

 

[Asr]

Just came back from this, wow this movie was intense and really gritty too. I've seen most WW2 movies (made since the 90s, I mean) and this was definitely up there, agreed that it's up there with SPR. The whole thing was shot very well with some great angles, and as I expected, some really great sound effects. I wouldn't be surprised if this movie is nominated for (and wins) Sound Effects and Mixing next year. Definitely a movie that you want to experience in the theater for the sound!

Logan Lerman worked really well as the moral center of the movie, and everyone else was really good too. Including Shia, who I despise, but I have to admit the dude does his best work playing stressed-out characters.

Easy 9/10 for me, thought this was great and very well done with some fantastic tank battles thrown in there. I don't know why anyone would criticize the middle of the film, I thought that was an essential part and it added to Logan Lerman's character too.

And if this film doesn't make Logan Lerman a breakout star, I don't know what will.....

 

[Airwings]

if this film doesn't make Logan Lerman a breakout star, I don't know what will.....

I saw a clip where Pitt [BLACKOUT]forces[/BLACKOUT] Lerman [BLACKOUT]to kill[/BLACKOUT]. It was a strong moment and I felt the emotional pain.

Time for LL to headline his own movie soon. He deserves much better than Percy Jackson.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...-lerman-going-through-boot-camp-more-20141017
Read the interview. It's funny they claim LL has the least fighting experience. After Musketeers and two Percy's, is it lesser than Shia? He does hardly any fights in Transformers, he just runs around or screams.

 

[Schlosser85]

^ That Pitt/Lerman scene you mentioned was intense. Really drove home the moral ambiguity too.

Also, if all I knew Lerman from was Percy Jackson, I'd assume he couldn't act. Fortunately, between Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fury, I know better.

 

[Airwings]

^ That Pitt/Lerman scene you mentioned was intense. Really drove home the moral ambiguity too.

Also, if all I knew Lerman from was Percy Jackson, I'd assume he couldn't act. Fortunately, between Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fury, I know better.

Don't forget Noah. He was pretty good there, but Watson, Crowe and Connelly were better.

And yeah, the scene was extremely intense. It showed the evilness of mankind, how terrible we sometimes are, and Logan [BLACKOUT]represented a pure goodness[/BLACKOUT] but [BLACKOUT]he couldn't fight back against the stronger and bigger Pitt[/BLACKOUT] because [BLACKOUT]he was physically small and weak in comparison[/BLACKOUT].

 

[MadVillainy]

Finally saw this. I was looking forward to it from the hour it was announced.

Long story short. I liked it a lot. It was really great. Will be watching it over and over on Blu Ray.

Didn't feel the film slammed to a stop. The scene Im assuming theyre referring to was well done and was a welcome break.

My only gripe was the ending [BLACKOUT]I didn't like how Lerman lived by essentially running away and hiding. I thought it betrayed all they were building up to in the movie in terms of character development[/BLACKOUT]

8/10

 

[MadVillainy]

APparently this scene was left out of the movie that was in the script. I wish we wouldve gotten it. It's Wardaddy's backstory

"Wardaddy points out a massive column of black smoke in the
distance. The herald of destruction on an unbelievable level.
It is the death of a city.

WARDADDY (cont’d)
See that? That's a whole city on fire. I
bet that's where those bombers were
heading. The dying ain't done. The
killing ain't done.

Norman tries to understand the enormity of what he is
witnessing. He can't. They ride in silence for a beat.

THEN:
WARDADDY (cont’d)
My mother was born near here. I think
right there in that city burning to the
ground. I got no problem killing my kin.

NORMAN
How'd you get all burnt up?

WARDADDY
My back?

NORMAN
Germans did it? That why you hate them so
much?

WARDADDY
No. I did it. Before the war. Before the
Army. I had a beautiful girl I was gonna
marry. Rose. She made me feel like a
*beep* king. Pretty like one of those
old paintings. She was good. A good
person. She had a good heart.


Wardaddy looks at Norman. Not sure if he should continue. He
does...

WARDADDY (cont’d)
I drank then. I'd get a$$hole drunk and
Rose hated it. There was a dance in town.
With a band from Wichita. I had her old
man's truck. My little brother came with
us. He was sixteen. And looked just like
you. With the same "I'm smarter than
everyone else around me" expression you
got. And he was. Book smart and people
smart. A good kid. Well I drank two
bottles of nickel whisky and got in a
punch-up at the dance with this big
Indian. K.O.ed him with a bottle.

NORMAN
I'm not your bartender and I'm not your
pastor. You don't need to tell me this.

WARDADDY
And I ain't your friend. You're listening
'cause someone has to hear. The sheriff
got called so I shoved Rose and my
brother in the truck and drove off like
my hair was on fire. Yep, like a real
*beep* Pedal to the mat. Hit an ice
patch and flipped it. I got thrown and
ended up under it. The engine right on my
back, cooked me like Sunday's beef roast.
Rose and my brother got their necks
broken. Whole county hated me for it. I
got the chain gang. I laid roadbeds.
Worked cotton. Mule teams. War started
and the Judge told me to die for my
country. Best advice I ever got.

Norman looks out on the German countryside. Then at Wardaddy.
Despite his age, Norman has a strong, quiet wisdom.

NORMAN
Does it matter now? Does it matter here?

WARDADDY
Does to me.

NORMAN
You killed them.

WARDADDY
I know what I did."

nod to camps

"Norman REACTS - Not to Wardaddy - But to the terribly thin
corpses filling the ditches on either side of the road. They
wear the infamous striped pajamas of the camp system. They
were shot after collapsing during a forced march.

NORMAN
Why are they so thin?

WARDADDY
They're from the concentration camps.
They starve 'em to death there.

NORMAN
Are they criminals?

WARDADDY
No. They're just people. Regular people.
Germans are marching them around to keep.
Rather have them dead than
free."

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

This was an incredible War Drama that made the point not to morally lionize it's characters yet there was real human depth all around. Pitt was quite phenomenal, and yes, even Shia gave a good performance. Perhaps the only good performance he's ever given outside of voicing a CGI penguin. (Yes, that includes HOLES and BATTLE OF SHAKER HEIGHTS. Forgive me but the man is wooden 95% of the time. But here he brought his A game.) The story and the characters were so intense that at times it was hard to watch. Truly a strong and well made film that deserves some kind of recognition during awards season.

 

[Venomfan]

I saw a clip where Pitt [BLACKOUT]forces[/BLACKOUT] Lerman [BLACKOUT]to kill[/BLACKOUT]. It was a strong moment and I felt the emotional pain.
.

I thought that shot would have made an amazing poster/dvd cover for the film

 

[Roose Bolton]

Without a doubt one of the best war films I've ever seen. Maybe film of the year for me.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Saying for ages Lerman is a the best nod for Dick Grayson in upcoming DC / WB films, watching this only strengthens that belief for me. Excellent film, cinematography, performances just a great piece of film making.

 

[kaijukurt]

Solid acting and great wartime imagery scattered all throughout this.

7/10

 

[Airwings]

Saying for ages Lerman is a the best nod for Dick Grayson in upcoming DC / WB films

He's without doubt one of the absolutely best candidates, and have so been for at least five years. But that's exactly why WB won't hire him.

 

[Schlosser85]

He'd also be a good young Scott Summers.

 

[DA_Champion]

Fury (2014)
Director: David Ayer
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

I watched David Ayer's Fury last week and I was mostly bored and underwhelmed. It's a world war II tank movie, following an American tank crew as it's moving into Germany and winning the war. It had the potential to be interesting, it had a few good elements, but overall it was simply too boring and cliche for me to follow.

The movie opens with some text. Something about the American army going into Germany and having a hard time against the superior German tanks, and how the Germans are fierce warriors now because Hitler has declared total war. That's an interesting premise I guess ... but what follows is a movie without any fierce Germans, it's entirely the Americans easily crushing the Germans at every twist and turn for 90 minutes. The Americans win nearly every fight, easily. There is no evidence of any superior German tanks or fierce German warriors so the opening text was completely meaningless.

Around halfway through our tank crew easily take this small German town. Brad Pitt and the young guy who doesn't want to fight war go up the stairs to this apartment and meet two hot young German women alone. The young American soldier who doesn't want to fight then ****s one of the two German women, the younger and hotter one, to her enthusiastic consent. They fall in love. Following this, other American soldiers go up the stairs and one of them wants to **** the hot young German woman, but he is held off by Brad Pitt. A few minutes later they leave, and German friendly fire blows up the apartment where the hoy young German woman. The American soldier who fell in love with her now hates Germans, and is willing to kill in war. This is very cliche.

The movie progresses and the tank crew has to take a town with just one tank. This one tank then proceeds to shoot and kill hundreds of German soldiers (I thought the Germans were fierce?) until finally the Americans get weakened because they run out of ammo. Brad Pitt comes out of the tank to shoot with a small gun, and he is shot by a German sniper who is wearing a mask (lol, seriously, a mask) and who emerges as the only individual in the German army who can aim. For Brad Pitt, the great American to fall, it takes four or five direct gunshot wounds, and then he has time to deliver parting words to his friend who proceeds to hate below the tank.

The movie as far as I can tell has one good scene. It follows a simple scene where Brad Pitt takes his shirt off and lets the audience swoon over his great body, we see his six pack, etc. Whatever. He then turns around and we expect to see his chiseled back, the classic strong back pose. Instead we see that his back is all burned ... I thought that was clever, it's a break from expectations, and it communicates the horror of war.

Grade: C