David Ayer's Fury is the fictionalized account of a crew of tankmates, led by Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt) during the final throes of WWII. While the Allies are low on resources, men and stamina, the crew of the Fury, along with three other tanks, is asked to embark on a mission inside Germany, first to rescue a group of stranded Allied soldiers and next to take several towns and hold a pivotal crossroads to keep supply lines open. All but one of the tank's crew have been together since North Africa and aside from their leader Wardaddy, they include "Bible" (Shia LaBeouf), "Gordo" (Michael Pena, End of Watch) and "Coon Ass" (Jon Bernthal, The Walking Dead). The most recent addition is Pvt. Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman, Percy Jackson), a trained typist only 8 weeks in the Army who is taking the place of the recently KIA tank gunner, much to the chagrin of his new crew. Norman isn't trained and is terrified and must go through a trial by fire to become hardened to the harsh realities of war.

As the small tank caravan makes its way through dangerous enemy territory, they are faced with trial after trial, yet the crew of the Fury always seem to make it through. "Bible" believes they are spared for a specific reason, while "Coon Ass" and "Gordo" become more agitated, specifically directing their anger at young Norman, at least until he proves himself worthy of the crew and earns the nickname "Machine." Even as the crew tries to find a tiny piece of normalcy while stopping in a small German town, they are constantly reminded of the horrors of war, both by what surrounds them, as well as their fellow crew. When they find themselves the only barrier protecting the critical crossroads, but are vastly outnumbered by a rapidly approaching company of Nazis, it is here where the true mettle of the Fury's crew is displayed.

Fury is an incredibly tense film, both during the scenes of war violence and even in the calmer scenes of the film. We felt on edge watching it, sometimes not knowing where the direction of the film was going, only to have the film reveal itself as it progressed. Brad Pitt as Wardaddy is constantly in control of his tank, but not always on top of his emotions, especially when he encounters Germans, and because of this, there were a few taut moments in the film when he and Norman were interacting with German civilians and we weren't sure where the film was going with these scenes. Just as Norman was having to become initiated into the darkness of war, so is the viewer.

Fury is incredibly visceral and the actors in the film are quite believable, from Jon Bernthal as the volatile "Coon Ass," to Shia LaBeouf as the scripture-quoting "Bible," Logan Lerman as the completely green and horrified Norman, Michael Pena as the mostly reserved yet steely "Gordo" and finally, to Brad Pitt as "Wardaddy," a man who exemplifies a true leader, one whose men would follow him into the very bowels of hell.

I was disappointed in the fact that there was only one special feature, but regardless, it is excellent and very interesting to watch. It is called Blood Brothers and chronicles the making of the film, especially focusing on the actual 2nd Armored Division tank crew members that were consulted on the making of the film. These men are in their 90's and revealed their own war stories to the actors, some they hadn't even shared with their own families. I can only imagine the honor of being able to speak to these men and the gravity that these meetings took on.

Fury is not a fun movie to watch, but it is a moving experience and a well-done film. I am a sucker for WWII movies and Fury is no exception. It's certainly not for everyone as it depicts the gruesomeness of war and pulls absolutely no punches. It is at once heart-wrenching and inspiring, and while not a true story (although based on similar events), is one that needs to be told. Recommended.