Film Preview: Fury (2014)

Poster

Poster #1

Additional posters can be found below.

Trailer Link

Release Date:

October 17, 2014

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.”

Poster: C+ / B+ (3) / C / C+ / C

Review: (#1) You’ve got the title. You’ve got the tank. You’ve got Brad Pitt. It might have interest to a handful, but overall the interest will be minimal for everyone else.

(#2-#4) Not many movies try to create a three-panel design that forms a single streamlined image when posted side-by-side. Fury does a smashing job with this effort, giving equal poster space to each star and the tank, which seems like its own character. (#5) This one has a bit less character than the original, but a little more detail. It has about the same impact as the original, but doesn’t do enough to go beyond it. (#6) A closer-up version of the first design set for a foreign market. It works on the same level as the first poster. (#7) While the previous efforts have gone in different directions than is normal in the industry, this one goes in the opposite direction, putting out a hackneyed design that may look good, but isn’t very inventive.

Trailer: B

Review: The trailer makes this seem like your typical wartime drama set near the end of World War II. Brad Pitt’s character has similarities to the one he spoofed in Inglourious Basterds. Yet, amidst all of this, the young, boyish Logan Lerman must learn the truths about war, which gives the film a layer of depth that many war movies these days don’t seem to have. Inject innocence into war and see a young life tarnished by death even at the result of victory. It could be interesting. Plus, Lerman is one of the top young actors to watch.

Oscar Prospects:

I can see Brad Pitt scoring a nomination for this. Logan Lerman is also a possibility. The film will have to really bowl critics over to go beyond that and it will have to be at least well liked by audiences to get anything at all.