Fury (2014) ***1/2

 

There will probably come a day when we are not so obsessed with World War II, but that day has not arrived. Almost 80 years after WWII ended, we are still living in the world that war created, the political themes behind the war are still relevant, and storytellers are still mining it for material.

One aspect of WWII that I never knew much about was tank warfare. Of course, everyone has heard of General Rommel, the German tank commander known as “the Desert Fox.” I was vaguely aware that German tanks were better armored and more powerful than allied tanks, but I never really knew the specifics of how tanks are used on the battlefield or what it looks like for a couple of tanks to battle it out. “Fury” is a fascinating deep dive into tank warfare, taking us inside an American Sherman tank near the end of the war, when the Germans were putting up their desperate and deadly last stand.

Brad Pitt plays tank commander Don Collier, a grisled veteran well-versed in fighting the better-armored German tanks. His crew are absolutely loyal to him, and they are naturally suspicious of a new, green recruit sent to replace a dead comrade. Private Ellison (Logan Lerman) is trained as a clerk and hasn't handled a gun since basic training, but the need for more men at the front lands him in one of the most dangerous jobs of the war.

“Fury” has incredible action. The film takes us inside the cramped confines of the tank, showing us what battle looks like to the men inside. Protected from regular rifle fire, the men inside have nowhere to run when anti-tank weapons are brought to bear, and they become a very easy target. In one gripping sequence, a single German Tiger tank ambushes four American tanks, and Collier must use all of his knowledge of tank fighting to survive.

While the action is amazing, the characters are not very well-written, and some of the scenes are downright confounding and annoying. The movie is also long, at 2h 14m. It doesn't feel that long during the battle sequences, but it drags during some of the interpersonal scenes. Still, this view of the war from the inside of a tank is a perspective I have not seen before, and “Fury” presents it with respect for the history and technical details. If you like war movies, it's worth buckling up for the ride.

3.5 stars out of 5

Ricky Stanicky (2024) ***

 

When I was a certain age, a hot topic of conversation was, “Is wrasslin' real?” Early on, I was in the “Wrasslin' is fake” camp, but I realize now that I was wrong. Professional wrestling isn't exactly fake; it's staged. Sure, all that stuff about good guys and bad guys is scripted, but those dudes and gals really are jumping off the top rope, doing flips and such. You shouldn't call it “fake” any more than you would call a production of Shakespeare fake. Pro wrestlers are actors who do their own stunts, which is why it should be no surprise that so many of them succeed in Hollywood. John Cena is the latest wrestler to break into movies, and I gotta say, the guy is entertaining, with good comic timing.

In “Ricky Stanicky,” Cena plays a fictional character come to life. Dean (Zac Efron),Wes (Jermaine Fowler), and JT (Andrew Santino) are childhood friends who get into a scrape. To deflect the blame, they invent a fictional kid whom they name Ricky Stanicky. As silly as the rapidly-contrived name is, the scheme works, and the kids proceed to grow up and go through life using Ricky as a go-to excuse. As adults, Ricky and his fictitious fight with cancer serve as an excuse to miss baby showers and other family obligations, until they almost get caught in the lie and are obliged to produce this mysterious friend. Desperate, the guys hire a down-on-his-luck Las Vegas performer (Cena) to portray Ricky and meet their wives and families. You can pretty much figure out the rest from there.

This is not a memorable film. It's a silly movie with only two points in its favor: 1) a fun name and 2) John Cena. Everyone else in the film, including Zac Efron, is forgettable, but Cena exudes enough charm to carry the movie. As Ricky, he worms his way into his new friends' lives in ways they didn't anticipate, inviting us and them to re-consider what is real and what is fake.

3 stars out of 5

Dune: Part 2 (2024) ***** Warning – Contains Spoilers for “Dune: Part 1”

 

It's kind of hard to believe that there was ever any question that Denis Villeneuve would get to complete his film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel Dune. But that's how it was. Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers committed enough money for Villeneuve to make Part 1, and part 2 was contingent on how that went. I suppose it's understandable, considering how some previous attempts at a Dune adaptation have gone. Fortunately, Villeneuve's “Dune”, released in 2021, was a masterpiece and a critical and commercial success.

“Part 2” picks up right where the first film left off. Paul and his mother Jessica have joined the Fremen in the desert. The Harkonnens have retaken Arrakis and control of spice production. Paul and the Fremen become guerrilla fighters, sabotaging the spice harvesters at every opportunity.

Where "Dune: Part 1" was slow-moving, spending a lot of time world-building, introducing us to the Bene Gesserit, the Great Families, the Fremen, and so forth, “Part 2” allows us to revel in that world. There is more action, and the story builds rapidly. We see romance bud between Paul and Chani. We also eventually see Paul morph from the hero into more of an anti-hero, as he gains his full prescient skills and begins to seek revenge, power, and even godhood. “Part 2” takes us through the end of Herbert's first novel.

Dune, the novel, is an amazing book, but as Herbert's series continues, the books start to become less and less compelling. I think the reason is that as Paul becomes a less and less sympathetic character, Herbert fails to give us another character to identify with. Director Denis Villeneuve seems to be angling to do something different with his series, giving Chani a more substantial role than she has in the book. Perhaps he hopes to give her a bigger role in a sequel.

Whether Villeneuve gets to make another Dune movie or not, he has done something special here, finally giving the first and best Dune novel the film adaptation it deserves.

5 stars out of 5