Fury is a tight, taut tale of a tank crew in the waning days of World War II. Deep inside Germany, the five men inside the Sherman tank named Fury are Sgt. Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt), Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shea LeBeouf), Trini “Gordo” Garcia (Michael Peña), Grady “Coon-Ass “ Travis (Jon Bernthal) and raw recruit Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman).

Norman has been in the Army eight weeks when he’s paired with the battle-hardened crew and the young man gets a brutal and fast introduction to the horrors of war. Writer and director David Ayer has done a masterful job of bringing a gripping WWII story onto the screen.

Ayer’s methods of bonding the actors included daily fistfights, and living either in the tank or in a tent, and it worked. The easy camaraderie between the veteran crew and their rough treatment of Norman pays off as we watch a fresh-faced boy become a little more hardened as he realizes the rough justice of wartime and what is required to become an accepted member of the crew.

The byplay between Bible, Coon-Ass and Gordo provide a lot of plot. Each man has a tale to tell, especially during a mission to take a small town and the amusements each man finds during their free time in the town.

Pitt’s Wardaddy is a greatly faceted role, showing new sides throughout the tale, some surprising even his crew.

The role of tanks in battle is shown well, especially when they are used to rescue a platoon pinned in a field. The war scenes in F” are intense and graphic, full of mud, blood grease and gore. Fury and three other tanks are eventually ordered to take and hold a crossroads against the Germans at all costs.

The grim preparations by the crew are the ensuing fight help make Fury one of the best war movies released in years. This is a movie that shows a much grittier war than we’ve seen. It has a truth and a heart rarely glimpsed and makes this a must-see movie.