Could've been the new Saving Private Ryan, but missed the mark

Rating: 7/10 (28 April 2019)

I can't remember the last time I was this excited for a war movie. A movie about a tank crew in World War II?! It sounded amazing from the start. Although I must admit I was a little bit disappointed when I heard who they casted for the roles. After Inglourious Basterds I found it hard to take Brad Pitt seriously as a tank commander and Jon Bernthal was still fresh in my memory as Shane from TWD.
But nevertheless this couldn't stop my excitement. This was, as far as I know, the only movie about a WWII tank crew made in the 21st century. THIS could be the next Saving Private Ryan. But it didn't live up to my personal hype for numerous reasons.
The acting itself was mostly good, but specifically two events ruined the movie for me and that's why I only gave it a 7.
1) The Tiger vs Sherman tanks. Let's imagine you are a German tank driver. You have perfect cover and can easily pick off the Sherman tanks one by one. What do you do? Obviously leave the cover and charge at multiple tanks coming at you. Mistake number one. Secondly why do these Sherman tanks don't have infantry covering their every move.
It's very hard to observe your surroundings from a tank and it's not that the Allied forces lacked manpower in this movie. Thirdly Fury was equipped with a canon that could easily destroy the German tank. There was no need to circle around it to hit the rear.
2) I've had the honour to meet veterans from WWII, Germans, Americans and British. And all these veterans had one thing in common: they just wanted to make it back home alive.It makes the final battle in Fury harder to understand.
It's April 1945. All the other tanks that accompanied Fury on their mission to defend a crossroad were destroyed. Fury(the tank) hits a mine on a road near the barn and can't move anymore. Making it an easy target. Norman(a member of the tankcrew) is on a reconnaissance mission. In the distance he sees 200 to 300 SS soldiers with Panzerfausts and other weapons. At this point the movie goes full Hollywood and in a bad way. It makes sense to retreat and regroup with other Americans to fight this enemy. But NO, let's stay in this disabled tank thus an easy target and try to fight off 200 to 300 German soldiers although the war is almost over.
It's realistic that they could surprise the first soldiers, because they made it look like the tankcrew was killed. But after that it's one big joke. Stormtroopers would be embarrassed. It's almost like the elite of the German army forgot everything they were taught. The SS soldiers didn't know how to aim, shoot and flank a disabled tank. It was a joke.
Obviously everyone, except Norman, dies in this ridiculous suicide mission. I still get angry about how they ruined the ending of this movie.